If you haven’t heard of Lady Gaga by now, you have officially been living under a rock. She has successfully taken on the traditional world of Top-40 pop and come out on top—in a big way. So why are so many people drawn to this woman whose wardrobe is—to say the least—extremely unique? And how on Earth could this relate to developing leadership skills?
She’s a creative thinker and a role model for innovative thinking:
No one can say that Lady Gaga doesn’t think outside the box. From a dress made out of Muppets to a full-body red-lace getup, she creates an atmosphere that encourages thinking in a different way. After seeing her walk down the red carpet, suddenly walking around holding a Christmas star seems totally logical. How do you develop creative thinking in your workplace? By encouraging an environment that values creative and original thinking, you promote innovation in the workplace, which leads to bigger and better ideas in every aspect of your product or service.
She takes risks:
- She takes risks in areas not crucial to her work. Creating the “Haus of Gaga” enabled Lady Gaga to go out on a limb to promote fashion, design, stage props, and costumes for her shows. She could have taken the traditional route, contracting out for concerts and performances, but because of her love of fashion and creativity, Gaga invested her time, money, and energy in creating her empire. So what do you love? Is there something that you have always wanted to try, but were too afraid to fail? Now is the time.
- She uses her team to find ways to improve business: In creating the “Haus of Gaga,” she created a strong team of designers, artists, and set managers to aid her in achieving her overall vision. She utilizes individual talents on her way to creating her performances. How do you utilize the resources and talents available to you in your workplace? Is your secretary a great blogger? Give her the keyboard and the keys to your social media world. Does your sales manager take great photographs? Have him in charge of snapping company photos for promotional materials or the end-of-the-year slide show. Utilizing the talents available to you will create a more efficient work place, as well as create a sense of pride in completion of small “special tasks.” An added bonus: allowing employees to utilize the creative side of their brains can stimulate creative thinking, which is key in the innovation process.
Lady Gaga has her unique role as a visual and performing artist perfected. Every appearance or production is connected by her calculated actions and words, be it at a red carpet affair or on a talk show. I can remember the first time that I watched an interview with GaGa on Ellen, and I remember thinking how it seemed like every word that came out of her mouth was so effective. Just that one interview gave me a solid awareness of her work as a musician. Her magic comes down to the fact that GaGa plans her verbal and visual communication with fans and industry professionals, and always stays on message. So how do we apply this to our everyday work life?
- Lets start with a presentation. Make sure you understand what is going on in your industry at the time. It sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes life gets in the way of research. Ensure you establish goals for your presentation. How do you want to come across? What information do you need your audience to know at the end?
- Repeat things. Most songs have a chorus that reiterates the main points of the song. We can do the same things in presentations to make sure our point gets across. The important thing is to make sure you are not too repetitive—rephrase major points without beating your audience over the head with them.
- To ensure clarity in your presentation, ask your audience to reiterate the main points. This will show you what messages got across, as well as refresh the presentation’s main points in the minds of your listeners.
Ok, so we’re not recommending that you wear full-body spandex to work. That will most likely get you fired, and then there would be no reason for you to read our blog. What we are recommending is that you make yourself interesting. By interesting, we mostly mean human. Your co-workers and subordinates will appreciate your leadership much more when they can relate to you on a personal level. So clip up a picture of your three chow-chows. Start a conversation with your newest hire about your mutual love of white water rafting. Wear a tie with dancing lobsters to show your love of seafood (there is a great one here http://www.vineyardvines.com/product__90153_____14629_13054). Better yet, wear a bowtie—it makes a fashion statement while still being work appropriate (unlike most of Gaga’s ensembles). Gone are the days when the hard-edged boss ruled the office with an iron fist while sipping brandy during lunch with clients. HR professionals and leadership professionals alike now know that offices with strong communication channels and a supportive team of coworkers striving for personal and workplace development is better not only for the individual employees, but for the business as a whole. By connecting to your coworkers on a “non-work” level, you will create personal bonds that encourage all of you to work harder towards a common goal.
