Manila, 25 August 2021 — What does your mastery look like when things fail?

Story

It happened in 2016. Brazílian pianist Eliane Rodrigues had just made her entrance in De Doelen concert hall in Rotterdam to start her performance of classical music by Chopin and Piazzola. And that’s when she noticed something was seriously off. The sustain pedal of the Steinway & Sons grand piano didn’t work properly, and there was no way that she could continue with her performance. So what to do?

When I heard the story, I was incredulous at first. What we’re talking about here is the world’s top brand of grand pianos,  and I had not heard of any case where they had ever malfunctioned. For me, who grew up playing the piano, the Steinway brand is so famous and synonymous with excellence that something going wrong with their instruments seemed inconceivable. And it happened. This most beautiful of pianos failed, and it failed spectacularly in front of an audience of of music aficionados. What a disaster. Or was it?

What happened next turned a catastrophe into an extraordinary example of improvisation where the audience witnessed the pianist taking her performance underground, literally under the stage. In my view, the viewers got much more than they paid for. And I invite you to watch for yourself how Eliane Rodrigues dealt with a situation when things fail. 

Challenge

Nowadays, all of us who take the lead in online events know that things can fail. We learn through experience that it’s not a question of if, but when things will fail. As leaders, we will prepare for that as best as we can, considering a variety of scenarios. Even so, our plans may not be enough. And that’s what happened on that concert stage. A generous dose of improvisation was needed to find a solution and avoid a disastrous outcome.

So what can we learn from the way Eliane Rodrigues handled it? You will have your own takeaways, and here are mine. First, she accepted the failure for what it was and embraced it rather than staying in a state of denial or storming out of the hall in a fury of frustration. Second, she asked people to collaborate with her in solving it while showing her sense of presence to improvise on the spot. 

Third, she recognized that working through a failure presented her with an opportunity to do something new and remarkable for her audience (in our case that might be our clients or colleagues). In doing so, she gave the audience an unforgettable experience. So exceptional was her performance that you are reading this story from me while I wasn’t even there. That’s what leaders become known for. They create exceptional meaning and value in situations, even when things fail.

Question

So what is the question I have for you this week? Here it is: How will you show your mastery next time something fails in your event or workflow? Will you handle the failure by yourself, even to the extent of concealing that there is a problem, or use the failure as an opportunity to create an unforgettable experience for everyone involved?

I don’t think there is a single right or wrong answer to this question. Showing up as a leader requires you and me to be well prepared for each event, master a host of skills, and be ready to improvise to make the best of a situation. That said, my answer is that I will find a way to collaborate with the people present to make the best of the situation together.

And I have Eliane Rodrigues to thank for showing me what such improvisation might look like. I hope that you found inspiration in her story too.