by Michael Millis
The best example of an inspirational strategic vision that I’ve found in music comes from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. First performed in New York in 1981, the show, created by Michael Bennett, tells the story of the music business and the personal struggles of a group of four African American women and their managers in the 1960’s. As a complete work, the show provides insight into the issues of race, identity, personal achievement, and forgiveness.
As an individual song, “Family” (lyrics by Tom Eyen ; music by Henry Krieger; © mGeffen Records GHSP 2007, 1982) provides insight into what it means to motivate and inspire others with a vision.
About two-thirds of the way into the first act, Effie, one of the lead singers in the group, decides to leave, and her brother/manager, CC, describes a vision to bring her back into the fold and move her forward. The dialog leads into the song with Effie asking, “What about me?” CC answers:
“It’s more than you, it is more than me
No matter what we are, we are a family
This dream is for all of us, this one can be real…
We are a family, like a giant tree
Growing stronger, growing wiser
We are growing free
We need you.”
This vision encourages Effie to think beyond her immediate perspective, and relate to something that is much broader and inspiring. In it, we catch glimpses of family, dreams, growth, strength, wisdom and freedom.
When we as business leaders seek to motivate others, we face the challenge of generating an image of the future which is an attainable aspiration. To achieve this, we must identify the higher purpose in our endeavors, and communicate that higher purpose in terms that evoke emotion, dedication and commitment. We must also begin with a clear understanding of our employees’ perspective and situation.
The element of CC’s vision which appeals to me even more than the noble images is his integration of the purpose with Effie’s current feelings. The vision of the larger family expands the immediate sibling connection between CC and Effie, thus moving from the literal to the metaphorical. The vision of the giant tree allows a consideration of process, and growth over time. Through this, CC acknowledges Effie’s observation that things are not working well right now, but they will get better in the long run. Finally, additional lyrics in the song reach out to Effie, specifically addressing her fear and rightful sense of ownership in the vision:
“So don’t think you’re goin’, you’re not goin’ anywhere
You’re staying and taking your share
And if you get afraid again, I’ll be there.”
What’s so impressive here is that CC is not pushing this vision on Effie; rather, he’s drawing it from their common experience, and meeting her immediate needs for consolation and reassurance. In the final verse, the vision is one all of the cast support, including Effie, because, as CC sings, “It’s big enough for all of us to share.”
We as business leaders cannot craft the vision for our company, department or unit alone in our top-floor office, or even in seclusion with the Board. If the vision is to be effective, it may begin with our strategic thinking, but it will be realized only when our thinking converges with that of our employees.
What better place to start this convergence than at the beginning of the process? In other words, generate the spark of the strategic idea, then take it to the trenches to see if it has enough oxygen down there to flame into a sustainable source of warmth and light. If it does not, you’ll have saved yourself the awkward situation of trying to force compliance with the new strategy, or even worse, having to eliminate staff positions because the business was not ready for that evolution. If it does work, you’ll have the luxury of moving forward with the momentum of the entire company, and the going will be a lot easier, and faster.
Note: Multiple recordings of the Dreamgirls soundtrack, including those featuring the original Broadway cast, are available at most record stores (are they still called “record” stores?), and online.