Comments on: Dancing Together

By: anthonytaylor

anthonytaylor — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:07:28 +0000

hi sharon,
Dancing is an interesting metaphor for leadership – I have often used my experience in dance to illustrate the concept of leading and following. Having Trained in Ballroom for over 15 years and argentine tango for 10, I find my sales and leadership forming similar patterns. Everyone has a perfect partner and dance moment when things click and the magic happens – However it is the times when they don't click and we really need them to (get those sales numbers) is where the dance metaphor starts to break down. The tango metaphor is more interesting for me because of the improvised component hence the added meditation/awareness factor.
I would dearly like sales and leadership to be on par with tango – if you are ever in Melbourne Australia – do pop in to Tango Bajo – for a tanda or 2.
I will be interested to see how this develops. Think on.

By: The Virtual Meeting Coach

The Virtual Meeting Coach — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:46:25 +0000

Nice to read about your dancing life, too, Sharon Drew. More we have in common that I didn't know. Not sure how I missed you dancing in Austin. You're dancing with some of my best friends there in Austin at Body Choir. I miss the group…Finding new people to dance with up here in Ashland, finally.

Your questions about how we decide who leads and who follows and how we serve and respond to each other without competing are THE questions, aren't they? The dance of trust and respect is the most challenging dance of all…

By: anthonytaylor

anthonytaylor — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:07:28 +0000

By: The Virtual Meeting Coach

The Virtual Meeting Coach — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:46:25 +0000

By: Peter Jones

Peter Jones — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:12:45 +0000

Sharon, if you're ever in western Massachusetts on a Friday night, there's a wonderful dance community (Dance Spree) that gathers every Friday in NoHo. Not to mention that Northampton is one of the coolest towns on the east coast. Spent many a transformative night on the floor there-and there is some great Contact Improv, if you're into that.

By: Gail Doby

Gail Doby — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:42:14 +0000

Very interesting, Sharon Drew. You'll have to share a video of your dancing with us. I agree with your comment about the relationship to business. It's sometimes the small subtleties that make the difference.

By: Steve R.

Steve R. — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:36:08 +0000

If you like dancing in Perth, Australia, you must also like the film “Strictly Ballroom” … a typically wacky/very offbeat Australian film (I love 'em) about two young dancers, one from across-the-tracks. and a father and former dance competitor who lost his title because his dancing wasn't “strictly ballroom”, but it was 'way over the top.

But back to the topic: effective dancing requires an effective structure (the dancing position), knowledge of the steps (or agenda) although not necessarily the ones that will be chosen (unless it's a tango), a person with the authority to initiate the gesture/s that will determine the overall direction, and, frequently the type of step, and a context — that is, that the partner/s are expected to and willing to participate by following with their steps and flourishes. Seems to prevail and flourish in most if not all social groups. I feel general leadership is much more open-ended … one does not always know the “steps” or the agenda, but there are many other similarities.