My Guitar Mantra for Leadership or That Breath Before the Start

There is absolutely no shortage of books, blogs, and videos about how to run a great meeting. This isn’t one of those. There are also so many amazing resources about meeting agendas, protocols, and structures. Also, not what I’m talking about today.

What I AM going to talk about is that minute before the meeting starts. The breath before the start. It’s a pivotal moment and it doesn’t always get the importance it deserves. I found that a life lesson from my band playing days always grounded me in that breath before the start.

A Lesson I Didn’t Know I Was Learning

The band I was in was about to start our set. I mean, we were literally on stage ready to count off the first song. At that moment, my buddy looks at me in a state of near panic with frustration. He’s struggling with his guitar pedals and guitar. He tells me his guitar isn’t working. Truth? He was using a lot more “earthy language” to describe his inner feelings about things. He bends back down and is frantically checking cords and pedals and connections. I have a much more emotionally detached view of this entire situation and can see the problem. I look over at him and lean in so he can hear me. “Hey man, your guitar. It isn’t plugged in.” Sure enough, the cord was free and hanging off his guitar strap and definitely NOT plugged into the guitar itself. He looked down, said something that wasn’t “fudge,”  plugged it in and “BAM!!” It was a gloriously loud pop and buzz. His guitar was absolutely working now. We looked at each other and laughed pretty hard just as the drummer counted us in to the opening song. I don’t even remember how that gig went. I just knew the opening song was great.

From that moment on, I never could start a set without checking everything but in a quick, last minute, safety blanket kind of way. It ended up being my mantra – guitar to pedal, pedal to pedal, pedal to amp, amp is turned on, amp is plugged in, guitar is plugged in, guitar is turned up. Now I was ready to play.  Even though as a band we had spent hours writing, practicing and perfecting the songs, I still needed that minute before the first note to get centered.

And Now It’s Still Grounding

That same process stays with me, same words too, before I start any meeting. It became a ritual. If I’ve had the chance to work with you, you’ve seen me going through it.

It was grounding then and it’s grounding now.

That minute before you start is key. The meeting doesn’t start when you proclaim to the group “Ok, let’s get started this morning.” It starts in the breath just before.

I want you to have an effective meeting and that starts by getting in the right headspace.

My Meeting Mantra

In the breath before the opening, I’m hyper aware of the agenda and the whole point of the meeting in the first place. And, I’m also thinking about context, how I want the outcome of this meeting to land with the group. That means I’m already aware of how I want people to feel when we’re done. Whether it’s urgency, inspiration, a shared sense of purpose, or clarity, I need a purposeful pause to focus on the outcome.

There are a dazzling amount of things that race through my mind in the minute before the meeting. That’s why that ritual, my mantra has to happen for me. Pedal to pedal, pedal to amp, amp is plugged in, amp is turned on, guitar is plugged in, guitar is turned up. Breathe. 

Sure, I might do just fine and forget none of those things. Or the protocol we’re using, or the name of my co presenter. Or even introducing myself. (True story and one for another time). But why risk it. I mean, who would try to play an electric guitar without plugging it in? It’s most of us if we’re trying to wing it. Take that minute and check your focus.

What’s your meeting mantra? Your ritual?

What could be one to start trying out this week?