I have eclectic tastes. I am a season ticket holder for both baseball and the ballet. Different venues, definitely. However, there are similarities when it comes to performance, what it takes to deliver an excellent experience to the audience. It has to do with Invisible Leadership.
It rained one Saturday afternoon at the Oakland A’s baseball game causing a significant delay-of-game. The crowd was generally patient, especially because the team was almost sure to clinch the Western Division. Fans chatted with friends and watched the Jumbo-tron which showed films of the team’s past accomplishments, flashed current stats alternating with short video cuts of great hits and almost-impossible catches. It was delightfully chaotic. There was so much happening to amuse the crowd, attention wasn’t focused on any one thing.
My attention, though, was riveted, transfixed on the grounds crew. I was mesmerized by the almost flawless manner of synchronized cooperation. It was like a beautifully choreographed dance, reminiscent of the San Francisco ballet. I thought of the scene from Swan Lake where the corps de ballet criss-crosses; ballerinas alternately moving at right angles to each other through lines of precise, measured steps. Rain slickers are not as appealing as tutus. However, the crew, dressed in utilitarian gear, did display an under-the-surface elegance with maneuvering that was perfectly executed.
Seeing leadership in unexpected places
My “leadership” radar is on most of the time wherever I might be. That day, I clearly saw leadership reflected in the enormous puddles on the field and the sprawling pools forming on the expansive tarp that covered the entire infield. Solo members of the team pushed sweepers in various directions; the corps—30+ strong—performed together in precise lines of movement. They swept evenly shoulder-to-shoulder. Then they folded this gigantic tarp in a distinct fashion that exposed the protected dry grass underneath.
It takes a leader to choreograph the necessary in such a way that the process seems seamless. This person was invisible to us in the stands. This is not the leader any of us would read about in the paper or hear interviewed on the evening news. This is not the team manager, the homerun superstar, the company spokesperson, the prima ballerina or the artistic director. This is a leader whose position is somewhere down the chain of command who takes his or her job seriously with more commitment than probably required to simply fulfill a job description. He or she might not even see him/herself as a leader, just someone who is doing the job.
I chose to write about this observation for a reason. Leadership doesn’t always hit you between the eyes; it is often expressed quietly or even invisibly. We, as outsiders or customers, experience business-as-usual. When all goes well, we don’t think about who or how the routine makes for a pleasant experience.
Exercise verbal presence skills in whatever you do
Through this perspective, I see opportunity for emerging leaders to exert, articulate, and practice their leadership skills in almost every arena they are engaged in. They might be the head of a department, serve as an office manager, be a summer intern or volunteer at the local food bank. It begins with being aware. It means being aware of the flow of the business around you, identifying what might not work quite as efficiently as possible, processing the dynamics, and moving to action that makes the task easier for everyone from the boss, to the customer or client or for fellow workers. And no one might ever know who made it happen.
It also means using your skills in verbal presence to coax the dialogue along in such a way that people cooperate, interact creatively and to define the task-at-hand in such a way that everyone is involved.
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I do believe that the A’s management knows how valuable that field crew is, and recognizes their contribution internally. I certainly hope they do. However, I was just there to watch a ball game. I suspect if I looked further I would find invisible leadership replicated in every level of that baseball experience. However, it took a rainstorm to jolt my consciousness.
As leaders, we all start somewhere: at the playground, in school, on the job or serving on a non-profit board. What rings true for me, is that leaders with depth often make things happen when they might not get credit for “choreographing.” The results are what is important. I believe that in these invisible situations, it is a time for emerging leaders to test leadership abilities and quietly take pride in the positive outcomes. Plus, it will provide you with a great story to tell when they make you CEO.
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