Last Saturday I spent 3 glorious hours in the
company of Neil Young at the O2. The man is 70 and, supported by band members
who looked well short of half his age, he delivered with few words, great
presence and a strong connection.
Some 55 years on from his first gig, he still finds
the passion and energy to really perform. How does he do that? And what can we,
and the leaders we coach, learn from him?
Neil Young started in about 1960 playing covers of
instrumental Shadows numbers. He helped create folk-rock and country–rock with
Buffalo Springfield. He produced stunning acoustic albums that show-cased his
song-writing ability. And he produced a brand of hard rock that earned him the sobriquet
“the godfather of grunge”.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website says “Young
has consistently demonstrated the unbridled passion of an artist who
understands that self-renewal is the only way to avoid burning out”. But he has
not jettisoned what he once knew or who he once was: he brings it all together
in what he now is. When I saw him he showed his range as a performer: he
started soft, reflective and melodic; and concluded visceral, driven and
challenging.
Neil Young is not afraid to upset expectations. He was once sued by the owner of his record label for making music that the label-owner regarded as "unrepresentative" of himself.
Neil Young is not afraid to upset expectations. He was once sued by the owner of his record label for making music that the label-owner regarded as "unrepresentative" of himself.
The parallels with the mind-set and approach of engaging,
experienced leaders is striking. I notice that the best leaders I coach relish
the next challenge. Those who continue to progress and achieve, evolve as they
learn. Self-renewal is a barrier to burn-out.
Long-lived leaders look for different ways of using
their hard-won wisdom. And that keeps them sharp, stretched and engaged. They look
for how they can combine new learning with the insights that have served them
well. And that shows them as wise and fresh.
So if you want to keep on rocking as a leader, you
could do worse that let Neil be your guide. Like him, be forever Young. Long
may you run.
