Music is – and always has been – the fabric of everyday life. Daniel J. Levitin, author of This is Your Brain on Music argues that, “music may be the activity that prepared our pre-human ancestors for speech communication and for the very cognitive, representational flexibility necessary to become humans.” I love making the neurons of my brain fire by listening to music. Deep focus is inspired with lyricless jazz. Cooking, gardening, cleaning, or driving, however, require words with as much richness as the song’s tempo. So many songs have lines that offer advice and ideas for personal growth and, from time to time, community building. To shape the Potentiality Playlist vol. 1, I chose six songs that, I think, reflect each the six foundational competencies that we write about. My intention is to inspire insights and ideas for how you might create a soundtrack for your worklife.
The Potentiality Playlist vol. 1
“Telephone” by Lady Gaga
You shoulda made some plans with me
You knew that I was free
And now you won’t stop calling me
I’m kinda busy
Open listening, empathy and authenticity are skills that enable better conversations. Not only does Gaga’s song totally bang, but it also highlights the value of respecting friends and colleagues by planning for connections ahead of time (as opposed to texting or calling at the last minute when everything else falls through). Those of us who master in-person, real-time conversations will always add value in our Slack and email-powered offices. We should invest more effort in the relationships that matter.
“Improvise” by Jurassic Five
And together, we’ll show you how to improvise
Reminiscent of the Wild Style ’75
Cause it’s the brothers on the mic occupying the drum
Taking four MC’s and make them sound like one
There are two important takeaways about collaboration from J5:
- Nothing is sweeter in work, music or life than achieving a four-part-harmony; having a team create and deliver work totally in sync is rewarding and beautiful.
- Working together means working across generations – Akil, Chali 2na, Soup, and Mark 7 honour the rappers and eras who came before them (according to Genius, the above lyric acknowledges the rap game adopted in the 1970s as well as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five).
When we work together with the past, present and future in mind it’s easier to meet the moment at work or make friends for life.
“Daddy Lessons” by Beyoncé
Came into this world
Daddy’s little girl
And daddy made a soldier out of me
Oh, oh, oh
Daddy made me dance
And daddy held my hand
And daddy liked his whisky with his tea
And we rode motorcycles
Blackjack, classic vinyl
Tough girl is what I had to be
He said take care of your mother
Watch out for your sister
Oh, and that’s when he gave to me
Parents are our first teachers. Whether it’s empathy, dancing or problem-solving, we first understand such things by observing our folks. We also get our first sense of where to place value in our work and life and how to engage with others. Look, this song bangs, too. Especially this collaboration with The Chicks.
“Years in the Making” by The Arkells
Chasing down everything I’m feeling
I come in first, and I’m the last one leaving
Now it’s been years in the making
And I’d do it over again
It’s been years in the making
So turn the lights down low
Rolling up my sleeves
Right now I’m in my zone
Put your eyes on me
I got the scars to show it didn’t come for free
It’s been years in the making
Creativity is years in the making even if we all naturally possess it. Many of us lack creative confidence, which is the subject of one of my favourite TED Talks. IDEO’s Tom Kelley and David Kelley highlight that creativity is one of the most sought-after traits in leaders today, but so many leaders fear being creative. Enduring criticism of how you solve problems, writing to an empty audience or persisting as a public speaker are examples of “the scars to show it didn’t come for free” when folks reflect on the impact of what embracing creativity means to them. Or at least what it left on The Arkells (who are objectively very creative). Outlasting haters and rekindling our spark over time helps foster infinite creative potential.
“Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Well, some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown
So I’ve started out for God knows where
I guess I’ll know when I get there
A long time ago this was the soundtrack to my mediocre – from content to production – basketball recruitment video for university (Canadian university). I didn’t play (so much effort, so few skills), but I adapted following this failure and had a solid intramural and academic career. Tom Petty is a hero of simple and powerful lyrics backed by catchy and connective beats. This song highlights why we need coping skills so that we can bounce back from hardship and failure. Resilience, after all, is measured by how we recharge, not by how we endure.
“Take a Minute” by K’Naan
And any man who knows a thing knows, he knows not a damn, damn thing at all
And every time I felt the hurt and I felt the givin’ gettin’ me up off the wall
I’m just gonna take a minute and let it ride
I’m just gonna take a minute and let it breeze
Leaders should be measured by our humility and our commitment to continuous growth. Before jumping to conclusions, expressing our ideas or directing an employee to do something we can, and should, slow down and think things though. Too many fast decisions are messing up the world, so I like this song because it reminds me to gather facts and feelings so that I can take the time and space required to make a better decision. K’Naan – such a poet – expresses the power of gratitude and reflection in this perfect song, too. When we reflect daily and, through journaling or dinner table conversations, what we learned and what we’re grateful for then we foster better connections with our community, improve our well-being and grow as awesome humans.
What’s on your potentiality playlist?