Leadership topic - Van Morrison

How do we really support and understand the Differences around us every day? The emphasis on that has sharpened… particularly in the last year, and that sharpness belies an edge that is hard to engage. Gender, race, orientation all imply “obvious” Differences – and yet, are those changes “real” or simply a convenient way of not really understanding others? And how do we handle holidays that are intended to bring us together by celebrating what is unique? Like St. Patricks Day…

Thank goodness Van Morrison is ACTUALLY Irish.  I thought he was, but if you know me, you know that there is a lot I know that is not really true, but in this case, his story will fit amazingly into the discussion of Differences.  He was born in August of 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the only child of parents descended from working-class Ulster-Scots.  His father was a shipyard electrician… and spent time in Detroit, Michigan in the early 1950s.  While there, he acquired “… one of the largest record collections in Northern Ireland…”

… see, collecting all my albums may turn out to be important 😉  In Van’s case, he grew up listening to Jelly Roll Morton, Leadbelly, Sonny Terry, and others.  He would reflect years later, “If it weren’t for guys like Ray and Solomon, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  Those guys were the inspiration that got me going.  If it wasn’t for that kind of music, I couldn’t do what I’m doing now”.

His father gave him a guitar at 11, and at 12 he formed a band called The Sputnik – guess what year that was 😉  Another band had a hit with a Sax solo, and he convinced his dad to get him one of those and started learning to read music. And the rest becomes history, but not as quickly or easily as he had thought…

… which leads to another great Leadership topic – Happiness.  What is it, and what role do we have as leaders in helping find it, if that is even what we can or should do? And interestingly, as success comes finally, Van finds like many leaders that is drives away the very thing that started the journey. So a couple of weeks of readings on Differences and Happiness with some amazing music.