Mayor Naheed Nenshi, in the year that he was named Best Mayor in the world, also lost a bet, and had to sing a solo as a result. He took something he couldn't do well, and made it epic. What are the strategies you can use to turn your failures to gold? Read on to learn a little from this great man.
As you'll see here, his singing voice is... the kind that makes us say "don't quit your day job." (Of course, Calgarians will be begging him not to quit his day job anyway, at least, not unless he's going to higher levels of leadership!)
The title is a bit of a misnomer. Of course there is nothing that he cannot actually do. But it's fair to say that Mayor Nenshi knew that singing a solo was something that he could not do well. And you don't become the mayor by not doing things well.
His own post-performance assessment, posted on his Facebook page, said:
"Incredibly sharp notes (not even in the same city as the actual key),
forgotten lyrics. Basically a hot mess. And a lot of fun."
See if you agree with his assessment, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTgrl97-cys
So how do you do something you can't do well, and make it epic?
1. Be humble. Realize what you don't do well, and find other people who do do it well, who will help you out.2. Give away the credit. Let others shine. See how he sort of fades into the background in that crowd, yet is always constantly the centre anchor? It takes humility and willingness to take a step back to play the anchor that well. An insecure person who's hungry for the limelight can't do that. Only a humble but self-assured leader can create a group shot like this.
3. Share. Let others shine. Similar, but slightly different -- Nenshi brought in other shiny people, and wasn't afraid to give them the spotlight. My favourite of these was this lady, who dramatically stripped off her outer clothes and sang straight from the bottom of her belly. Awesome.
'Cause you know any video that has women stripping off their clothes is going to get attention! And she did it so well.
4. Bring in some kids. It reminds us that we all go through learning stages, that we all have the potential to be something later on. It doesn't matter whether we're 14 or 40 or 60, I think we all look at a kid and think "I remember when I used to believe I'd become... " And then maybe that thought sticks and we wonder if maybe we could work toward that goal now, instead of leaving it by the wayside where it was for the last 56 years. If you're not going to pursue that dream now, then when?
5. Film it. I've always believed that a daily dose of humility is good for the soul... thanks to Nenshi getting this filmed, he can enjoy being humiliated over and over again, and people writing to him to remind him how fun and silly that was. :) Extra medicine.
6. Add a little dance routine. Distract your audience from the little things you don't do that well by having something really cool in your repertoire -- even if it's just a little dance step.
7. Colour & presentation make all the difference. The choreography and colour is nice, too. Nenshi might have had to wear a Mighty Ducks jersey, but it sure gets drowned in a sea of Calgary Flames red by the end, doesn't it?
8. Engage your community. I was excited to tell my son about this video, but of course he already knew about it. "Mom, we saw that video at school yesterday. My teacher Mr. Jones was in the video."
<-- Sure enough. There he is. A doo-wap guy.
9. Start your speeches with "I believe." It seems to work well. It engages the audience right away because every listener perks up to see if they are going to agree with what you say you believe.
Having something you believe in makes you a strong person, a leader who people want to follow.
So many people in our society these days refuse to participate in silly events, rather than give it a try. They're afraid to "make a fool" of themselves. In 2015, leadership and strength means you don't mind poking fun at yourself, don't mind letting others have a laugh.
Be a leader. Take a risk.
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