Adjust the Settings on Your Equalizer

Do you remember the days of HiFi stereo equalizers?

Back when music was still on vinyl records or cassette tapes, there was something profoundly fulfilling about being able to adjust and control the quality of my own music.

I was passionate about Hendrix. Zeppelin. Otis Redding. The Clash. The Velvet Underground. At the time, this was music that brought my spirit alive. So, as a true audiophile, I had to make sure it sounded incredible. I had this expansive stereo control panel full of knobs and levers. By adjusting the spectrum of bass, treble, balance, and fade, I could completely customize my own listening experience.

And… I’d always know that I got it just right when I’d feel a warm, joyous hum of vibration in my body. That was when I could fully let the music in.

Now, as a professional “Metaphor-ologist.” I see a clear connection between the joy of adjusting a HiFi stereo equalizer and being a leader in running a business.

Whether you listen to your favorite song from U2 or you want to reach your quarterly goals, it’s all about learning to adjust your levels of relating to create a fulfilling, inspiring experience for you and your people – instead of a harsh, uncomfortable one.

I was just working with a client to adjust how he relates with his leadership team. We focused on increasing vulnerability to take out a bit of harshness, lowering his guard a bit to increase his personal connection, and balancing out his demeanor to become more approachable.

This concept goes way beyond personal relating and into balancing the whole spectrum of business. Should I spend more time speaking? Writing? Marketing? Networking? Going to events?

These are all worthy pursuits. But it’s only in finding the right levels of each one that it all comes together like a symphony for your business.

Like any art, this is a life-long pursuit. You’ll always be getting better and better at it, and just as music and business are constantly changing and evolving, so will you.

In the end, it’s all about getting good at the quality of music YOU bring to your company. This is what gives your people the warm, joyous hum of alignment with you as their leader.

If you’d like a little experience of what this could look like for you, give me a shout, and I’ll show you how to make a beautiful symphony from the music that is your business.