Regain Focus With the Etude

Etude- a short song usually written for instructional use. The musical term “étude” has long been used to describe pieces of technical, sometimes virtuosic, difficulty, focused on training and refining a specific aspect of a performer’s technique. Composer, Chopin offered a deeper approach to this practice. He was the first to pioneer the etude into an actual art form. Although all of his twenty-seven etudes for piano adhere to the basic principle of an etude – to train and refine a specific aspect of a performer’s technique – there is another element present. Each of the etudes, rather than being a dry repetitive exercise, has its own musical story to tell.

Chicago area pastor, Apostle H Daniel Wilson of Valley Kingdom Ministries International is known throughout the business and ministry communities when it comes to inserting short stories to develop his teams and congregation. Wilson, frequently would share short stories about a personal hardship that included an instructional message. These Chopin-like “etudes” of transparency would have such an effect on the listener. What I've found to be even more engaging and transformational is the way he uses these verbal “etudes” to build trust; not merely trust in him or the plan that he was presenting. But his use of the “etudes” would build confidence in each member individually for their personal development. "We are all living during a time when people want and expect their leaders to be more human, less perfect and at times a bit vulnerable regardless of hierarchy or rank. Just think of how many careers would have been salvaged and discovered if transparency had been part of the corporate culture equation." - Glenn Llyopis

We live in a society where trust and transparency has become a demand within the workplace, and our team or organizations. People want to relate to its leaders, with the trust that their leaders have experienced the same problems and/or how they have overcome personal hardships. Surveys within the workplace has shown time and time that people have grown tired of surprises and want to exist in an environment that allows one to have greater clarity of thought – by eliminating the unknowns that continue to creep into our minds with each decision we make or relationship we foster. All of us feel comfortable in an environment when we believe the leader is offering the truth about the objectives, the present state and vision for the future. In other words, the team only really wants the opportunity to plan and protect themselves from any surprises or negative effects.

There are many ways to build trust within an organization. Consider incorporating an “etude” here and there. It will have a positive impact on your team. Short personal stories (songs) have the power to go where no business plan has ever been! In business, as in life, these “etudes” (transparent moments), can captivate the heart, stir the imagination and create the desire to act for the leader and throughout the team.

Leaders can use “Etudes” to: - Regain Focus - Build Trust - Relationship - Higher Performance Etude No:1 - Transparency Creative Coaching through Music: “Music can change the world because it can change people” - Bono