Recently, Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl performed an impromptu and extraordinary act of kindness. During a sold-out concert, Growl noticed mid-song a special needs fan having trouble locating a seat. What happened next no one in attendance will ever forget. Check out the 58-second video below:
In light of the tragic Astroworld deaths, here’s a clip of Dave Grohl stopping a Foo Fighters show in its tracks to help out an autistic child in the crowd. Take note, performers – you often see things security cannot. Look out for your fans. pic.twitter.com/Fq6CMUDnGN
— SPENCE, TODD (@Todd_Spence) November 7, 2021
The following are 6 Leadership Lessons From Foo Fighters Lead Singer Dave Grohl’s Remarkable Interaction With A Special Needs Fan:
Leaders See More Than Others See
As John Maxwell teaches, leader see more than others see. They see before others see. And they see farther than others see.
As mentioned in the tweet above, those on a public stage see more of what is happening in the audience than others. Grohl used his elevated status (both physically and as the lead singer) to notice the needs of others he was serving.
Leaders Must Have The Right Focus
Successful leaders prioritize people over projects, processes, and yes, even profits.
I have the privilege of knowing many stage artists. Most are understandably focused on the task at hand. Are the musicians hitting their notes? Are the singers on pitch? Does everyone know their lines? Are my in-ears and monitors working? Is the lighting team and other technicians competent? Are the band members and musicians high, sober, or hung over? You get the drift.
Elite performers who are masters of their craft have a different focus. Their focus is on the audience and what their needs are. Is the audience engaged or bored? Are they leaning in or have their arms crossed? What are they responding to? Is there a connection taking place? They then process all this information and adjust their messaging and performance accordingly.
Regardless of your profession, you must also have the right focus and prioritize people over projects, processes, and profits.
The Relationship Between Expertise And Adjustments
Being a master of your craft comes with the added bonus of margin. Having elite talent and expertise affords you the privilege of not having to worry so much about the technical aspects of your job. You have already mastered those. As Nick Saban says, you practiced the fundamentals so much you cannot get them wrong. This frees up your mind to focus on adjustments.
Let me explain.
Think of the relationship between expertise and adjustments as 90/10. If you have to spend 90% of your time focused on the technical aspects of your job, you then only have 10% margin to focus on adjustments like the changing needs of your audience. However, if you know your craft so well you only have to focus 10% on the technical aspects, you then have the margin to focus 90% of your efforts on adjusting to your audience.
This is why Dave Grohl could stop mid-song and help out a fan in need. He is a master of his craft. His elite talent freed his mind up enough to do so. It cannot be overstated enough the remarkable level of skill that was required for this act to take place.
Leaders Must Have A Radical And Immediate Response To Needs
If you have information, you are responsible for it and must address the issue. Once Grohl noticed the special needs fan struggling with finding a seat, he immediately made sure proper accommodations took place.
He took responsibility for the situation as any great leader would.
Generosity And Compassion Are Attractive Leadership Qualities
There are many things a leader can do to reduce their influence. Unhealthy pride. Selfishness. Lack of trust. Poor performance. This is just to name a few. However, two things which always increase influence are generosity and compassion.
Grohl was already performing in front of an adoring crowd but what he did endured him with those in attendance forever.
A Remarkable Act
Let’s don’t make this too complicated. What makes something “remarkable” is people are willing to make a remark about it.
In complete transparency, I cannot name you one Foo Fighters song. I know I’m living in a bubble but I had never heard the name Dave Grohl before yesterday. I would also be willing to bet I completely disagree with the band’s lifestyle, lyrics, and language. We probably have very little in common.
All that being said, the compassion he showed to this special needs fan and what all that had to be in place from a talent perspective for him to do so, is remarkable.
So I remarked about it. So should you.
***BONUS UPDATES*** Some Risks Are Worth Taking
After reading my initial post, I had a reader give me these thoughts and I felt they were so good I chose to update the original post.
Yes, some risks are worth taking.
Grohl ran the risk of alienating the crowd by interrupting his concert by stopping his song and helping someone with a need. In our entitled society, hard-working people who paid a lot of money to attend could have just rolled their eyes. Selfishness is one of the default modes of being human. However, Grohl was letting everyone know that there was somebody there more important than himself and they audience and they needed our help. So he took a brief moment to show some kindness.
Small Acts Of Kindness Make A Big Difference
It did not take a lot of time and effort to show a little kindness and find someone a seat. But Grohl reminded us that anyone can make a big difference by doing a small act.
What small act of kindness can you do today to make a big difference in someone else’s life?
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