Friday post: the power of youth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y36xmzYpujc

This is a great piece by the Argentinian Alberto Ginastera, written in 1941 and performed in 2007 by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

The piece itself is fantastic, but the reason I chose this video is that it is played by a youth orchestra. We often wait for great work to come from our more senior people – people with experience and (presumably) better judgement honed by years of practice.

Here we have a youth orchestra – I don't know the exact ages of all the players, but you can tell they are young – playing a challenging, professional-level composition. Not only are they musically talented, they play with verve! With gusto! With brío and entusiasmo! The players are clearly having a grand time.

Gustavo Dudamel is the conductor, and I give him credit for creating such a positive performance space. He too is young: among many achievements he was the youngest director of the Vienna Philharmonic's famous New Year's Day concert, at age 35, in 2017. Dudamel is successful in a world where directors routinely extend their careers into their 80s and 90s.

As a leader, what can you do so that all of the people on your team are having a great time contributing as a professional? What can you do specifically to unleash the potential of your younger leaders?

Please enjoy this fantastic performance.

Dale Rebhorn

Dale Rebhorn

Dale Rebhorn is a teacher and student of leadership.
Madison, Wisconsin, USA