Music is a connective force of community. Everyone has at least one playlist. I wrote about the songs on my potentiality playlist a few years ago. Just as a playlist organizes songs, our workweeks should take a playlist approach – “here is my playlist for the week” is something you might overhear as work becomes a curated collection of tasks (collaborative time, report writing, creative work are all jams on an interchangeable work playlist) instead of a nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday arbitrary, homogeneous, uncreative, isomorphic, grind. Music also serves as an antidote to selfishness by bringing communities together on the dance floor or in the kitchen because sharing melodies can generate moments that matter. Here are some songs that capture The Potentiality’s community-building competencies, aiming to inspire you to create a soundtrack for your work life that grounds you in beliefs and values as much as it inspires you to get uncomfortable while embracing new ideas and experiences.

The Potentiality Playlist vol. 2

“Hotline Bling” by Drake

You used to call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
Call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
And I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing

Excellent communication can simplify complex concepts into nonverbal signals and symbols. The line “I know when that hotline bling, that can only mean one thing” shows an understanding of subtle cues, interpreting the message behind the call, and responding accordingly. All day long we are communicating nonverbally. We are transmitting information to others constantly based on how we dress, how we shake hands (or fist bump), or how we respond to good/bad/weird information in a meeting.

What “hotline bling” communication moments exist in your worklife? How might you understand and, if necessary, adjust these symbolic or nonverbal cues to send the messages you want and need to your community? For me, I am working on sending signals that match energy, as opposed to shift energy, because I am an enthusiastic optimist who seeks to bring life, joy, fun, and energy to a meeting, party, or presentation, which isn’t always what’s required or wanted from the audience/participants who might need time and space to process, slow down, and keep things serious.

“Startin’ Over” by Chris Stapleton

This might not be an easy time
There’s rivers to cross and hills to climb
Some days we might fall apart
And some nights might feel cold and dark
When nobody wins afraid of losing
And the hard roads are the ones worth choosing
Some day we’ll look back and smile
And know it was worth every mile

It don’t matter to me
Wherever we are is where I wanna be
And, honey, for once in our life
Let’s take our chances and roll the dice
I can be your lucky penny
You can be my four-leaf clover
Starting over
Starting over

This song resonates for me personally because, first, my youngest son loved it and called it “our song” whenever it played on the radio in 2021 when I drove him to daycare and, second, the Covid-19 pandemic required adaptation and rebeginning from my family and I (we moved from Vancouver to Victoria and I started a new job). The lyrics acknowledge the challenges and uncertainties of life. It emphasizes that sometimes we stumble, but it’s those difficult paths that lead to growth. The song encourages embracing change, taking risks, and finding contentment wherever we are. It highlights the importance of being open to new beginnings and seeing them as opportunities for personal and shared growth. The line “nobody wins afraid of losing” especially resonates with me.

Leaving a job is hard. Our family were four of the 7,335 Canadians who moved to Victoria in 2021 (the city saw the seventh highest net increase in the country). Whether we are opening ourselves up to new ideas, beginning a new job, or establishing roots in a new community, starting over requires adaptability in terms of how we engage with new communities and adjust our skillsets, mindsets, and heartsets to their needs and realities.

“It’s Like That” by Run DMC (featuring Jason Nevins)

One thing I know is that life is short
So listen up, homeboy, give this a thought
The next time someone’s teaching why don’t you get taught?
It’s like that (what?) and that’s the way it is

If you really think about it times aren’t that bad
The one that flexes with successes will make you glad
Stop playing, start praying, you won’t be sad
It’s like that (what?) and that’s the way it is
Huh!

Learning happens everywhere and always when we pay attention to our experiences and reflect on them.

Having a growth mindset means that we are always on the lookout for learning opportunities. Run DMC’s lyrics encourage listeners to open their minds, be receptive to teaching, and seek knowledge from life’s myriad teachers. The song suggests that learning enables personal growth, empowers individuals to overcome challenges, and brings positivity and fulfillment to their lives. Further, by shifting our perspective and appreciating what we have, we can cultivate gratitude, find contentment, and accept that, while life brings challenges, suffering, and tragedy, we have the power to learn and grow from such experiences.

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye

No wind no rain or winters cold can stop me baby,
‘Cause you are my goal.
If you’re ever in trouble;
I’ll be there on the double.
Just send for me, oh baby.

If you need me call me no matter where you are,
No matter how far;
Just call my name; I’ll be there in a hurry;
You don’t have to worry,

‘Cause baby there ain’t no mountain high enough,
Ain’t no valley low enough,
Ain’t no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.

In the timeless hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye, the lyrics express the essence of support, showcasing unwavering commitment in the face of significant, if not insurmountable, obstacles. The song exemplifies the power of overcoming challenges together. The relationship is the goal.

Forbes’s Dede Henley highlighted how Pepperdine University’s MSOD faculty collaborated through adversity to ensure that students who couldn’t return to campus during the pandemic would be eligible for graduation:

The faculty did a brilliant job of demonstrating both personal vulnerability and collaboration. They shared their fears and concerns and the fact that they have never faced anything like this before. And they listened to one another and backed each other up with friendship and loyalty.

Folks are more likely to offer help when we express vulnerability and acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers (more on this later).

“Bad Habits” by Ed Sheeran

Every time you come around, you know I can’t say no
Every time the sun goes down, I let you take control
I can feel the paradise before my world implodes
And tonight had something wonderful

My bad habits lead to late nights endin’ alone
Conversations with a stranger I barely know
Swearin’ this will be the last, but it probably won’t
I got nothin’ left to lose, or use, or do

My bad habits lead to wide eyes stare into space
And I know I’ll lose control of the things that I say
Yeah, I was lookin’ for a way out, now I can’t escape

Bad habits limit creative potential. According to James Clear, bad habits are caused by stress and boredom. In Ed Sheeran’s chart-topping hit, “Bad Habits,” the lyrics poignantly capture the impact of negative habits on our creativity. The song reveals the consequences of surrendering to temptations and falling into familiar patterns. Here’s what Clear has to say about replacing a bad habit with a new one (because the science is clear that eliminating a bad habit won’t work):

Because bad habits provide some type of benefit in your life, it’s very difficult to simply eliminate them. (This is why simplistic advice like “just stop doing it” rarely works.)

Instead, you need to replace a bad habit with a new habit that provides a similar benefit.

For example, if you smoke when you get stressed, then it’s a bad plan to “just stop smoking” when that happens. Instead, you should come up with a different way to deal with stress and insert that new behavior instead of having a cigarette.

Replacing time-sucking, creativity-reducing habits, such as doom-scrolling or binge-watching, with creativity-inspiring habits, such as journaling or meditation, addresses boredom and stress without eroding productive potential.

“I Don’t Know” by The Sheepdogs  

Lookin’ back at me
There’s more than mystery
Letters and pages of
Ancient history, yeah.

I get up in the morning now, I don’t know
I’ve been waiting for the evening now, I don’t know
I’ve been lookin’ for whats comin’ now, I don’t know
Would somebody please, help me.

The best leaders are comfortable – if not excited – saying “I don’t know”. In their song “I Don’t Know,” The Sheepdogs strike a chord for leaders, urging them to embrace vulnerability and acknowledge their limitations.

When leaders acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers, this behvaiour promotes collaboration and empowers teammates. Every day more information is created than, like, the content created in the previous year (I’m exaggerating for affect). Consequently, real leadership is reflected by the willingness to say, “I don’t know” and actively seek support and guidance from others to figure out what to do next.

Bonus Tracks

“The Underdog” by Spoon

‘Cause you don’t talk to the water boy
And there’s so much you could learn
But you don’t wanna know
You will not back up an inch ever
That’s why you will not survive

The thing that I tell you now
It may not go over well
Oh, and it may not be photo-op
In the way that I spell it out

But you won’t hear from the messenger
Don’t wanna know ’bout something that you don’t understand
You got no fear of the underdog
That’s why you will not survive, right!

When we rethink our perspectives and challenge our biases we come up with better ideas.

“Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulder
And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

We need to let go of toxic relationships in our work life, no matter how fast their cars might be.

“Invisible String” by Taylor Swift

Time, wondrous time
Gave me the blues and then purple pink skies
And it’s cool, baby, with me
And isn’t it just so pretty to think
All along there was some
Invisible string
Tying you to me?

We should always be thinking about the invisible ties that connect and inspire us.

What’s on your potentiality playlist?