Being a Leader in the Arts

Being a Leader - Seeing, listening, thinking, believing and saying (things out loud).

Pekka Saarikorpi

Seeing 

Seeing you and me. Seeing us. Seeing differences and oneness among people involved. Seeing unity. Seeing the environment we are part of and all the paths we are possibly going through. Seeing possibilities in individuals and groups, setting goals and building trust on individuals and between people. Being aware of the gloomy clouds and the narrow road – and seeing the future bright.

Open-mindedness is an essential feature that a leader must have. An ability to see and meet people around you and see them as precious individuals make them flourish – not to mention the importance of the humanity and empathy in everyday tasks and meetings. Seeing and finding suitable challenges and opportunities, as well as exposing and offering them to project participants is another good skill to have. By accepting and even welcoming risk-taking and failures, it is possible to get participants’ dedication for the project and achieve overall success.

Listening 

Listening you and me. Listening us. Mediating between various ideas and thoughts. Empathizing, respecting and understanding, sometimes even challenging. Being accessible, always actively listening – one of us.

Listening is something that every leader should always pay attention. It’s part of a vital and enrichening dialogue that helps people understand each other. How beautifully Dalai Lama puts it: “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may earn something new”. To remember, the ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.

Thinking 

Thinking you and me. Thinking us. Recognizing. Emphatizing. Finding positive aspects. Accepting differences and appreciating diversity and unity. Learning. Thinking and learning once again. Improving our being and doing.

A leader must have a vision and passion for being able to think strategically and look ahead. The Leader’s role is to provide the best possible environment for others to work. He is giving standards, frameworks and goals for a common working culture and setting guidelines for dealing with ethical issues. He is always trying to develop participants’ skills, abilities and knowledge to improve overall performance.

Believing 

Believing you and me. Bridging the gaps and building trust between all of us.

Individuals are all different. Leaders must understand these differences and always motivate the participants to give their best. Building trust between people is an important part of being a good leader, not to forget the ability to influence, encourage and inspire people. To be a succesful leader you must be able to give freedoms for all the individuals involved. Making them feel important and trusted is often the best way to help them to reach their fullest potential.

Saying things out loud 

– things we all think about, things we never thought about, things we all are proud of and things we are afraid of.  

Being a leader is breaking down old structures and building up new constructions. It’s often encouraging and motivating, sometimes questioning and challenging. After all, evaluating, and always inspiring.

Being a leader is seeing, listening, thinking, believing and saying (things out loud).