Approach a new task or subject scientifically by analyzing it deeply to comprehend and understand it, aiming for such internalization that you are then freed from conscious thought during performance.
To achieve fluency and freedom in any skill, first put your head down and intellectually understand the underlying rules and vocabulary, then practice until it becomes internalized, allowing for effortless execution.
When preparing a work, strive to understand with maximum clarity and lucidity how the creator constructed it, and then aim to realize that intent in your execution.
Cultivate a compartmentalized mind to quickly switch between tasks and maintain focus on the next thing, allowing for rapid mental transitions.
Achieve a state of very high focus where you are channeling and allowing things to happen, but maintain the ability to quickly switch out of that state to solve specific problems and then return to the flow.
When working on projects with bigger structures and longer journeys, always keep an eye on the ultimate destination, acting as a navigator to guide the process.
As a leader, sometimes you must draw a line and make a definitive decision for the sake of the group, preventing inaction caused by constantly unresolved choices.
When leading a group, respect and accommodate the nuances and individual expressions that come from the players or team members, within the established parameters of the work.
Be sensitive to individual needs and adjust the pace or conditions to allow them to perform optimally, while still working towards the overall objective.
Beyond individual skill, cultivate the right mindset to function effectively within a team’s unique conditions, as this is crucial for overall success.
Understand that in highly interdependent teams, every action, mistake, or inspiration immediately affects everyone else, requiring constant real-time coordination and awareness.
In highly interdependent teams where individual actions have immediate collective impact, cultivate a huge amount of trust among members.
Prioritize open dialogue with your team, ensuring they feel comfortable approaching you at any point to discuss any issues or ideas.
Expect and ensure that all team members, including yourself, are very well prepared and know their material thoroughly before engaging in collective work.
Maintain open dialogue within your team, as this allows you to foresee potential problems and address them before they escalate into grave issues.
When taking over an established entity, ensure existing strengths are maintained and kept healthy, while also actively developing new areas and expanding capabilities.
Be aware of and actively maintain the heritage and core integrity of an organization, as this forms the foundation upon which new additions and developments can be built.
Find reward in contributing to the long-term development of an institution, embracing the responsibility of being a guardian who keeps it healthy and fosters its growth.
Focus on building long-term relationships with institutions or entities, as these provide the most fruitful opportunities to see and realize significant impact.
Before starting a task, especially a performance, consciously set yourself into the appropriate frame of mind required for that specific activity.
Use your body language and eye contact to create a sense of readiness and prepare both your team and audience for the beginning of a shared journey or experience.
Before embarking on a long, intimate, or intense journey or performance, create a true, focused silence to prepare everyone for the experience.
Direct the energy of both your team and the audience to the specific state required to begin a task or performance effectively.
Ensure your actions and communication clearly convey the rhythmic impulses of the task or project to your team, providing clear guidance.
In dynamic situations, lead with a sense of ‘give and take’ to foster a symbiotic relationship and allow for flexible, coordinated movement.
When group coordination breaks down, react instinctively to identify the issue and bring people back together, re-establishing flow.
Be sensitive to and sense the focus and reaction of your audience or stakeholders, as this feedback can influence and shape your performance or delivery.
Recognize that any work, whether a phrase, chapter, or entire project, has an underlying architecture with a clear beginning, development, and resolution, and internal structures within its components.
When presenting information, start with clear, recognizable statements (themes) and refer back to them throughout to provide a landscape for navigation and ensure coherence.
To fully appreciate and understand any great work (book, art, music), scratch beneath the surface to learn about its construction, history, and context, transforming it into a richer universe for exploration.
When studying any complex work, appreciate not just the surface presentation but also the underlying craftsmanship, structure, and the arguments or relationships being expressed.
When engaging with any subject, especially the arts, fully engage your intellectual mind to grapple with abstract ideas and foster deep thought.
When creating or performing, aim to provide an experience that is unique and transformative, taking people on journeys they cannot readily find elsewhere.
When guiding someone, especially children, foster their intrinsic desire to learn and engage rather than pushing them, allowing their passion to develop naturally.
To succeed in a demanding career, ensure you have a burning desire for the core activity (e.g., practice), as this passion is essential for sustained effort and success.
Pursue a broad-based education to gain more tools for accessing and connecting new knowledge to various fields like literature, history, and philosophy, enriching understanding.
In any profession, first achieve a high level of technical proficiency, then focus on refining the final 0.5% of nuance, which distinguishes top performers.
Use a probation period to evaluate how new members physically and harmonically gel with the existing group, and allow colleagues to get to know them for long-term team cohesion.
Implement a structured feedback system where team members provide comments on leadership techniques and inspiration, using this feedback to inform future decisions.
Focus on executing your job as you believe it needs to be done, rather than being overly concerned with immediate popularity or external validation.
When presenting complex programs, create an accessible narrative around them to help newcomers understand the underlying story and engage more deeply with the content.
Institutions with stable funding should take risks that others cannot, offering forums where creators can partner, experiment, make mistakes, and present new works.
Regularly step back from your immediate position to a different vantage point (e.g., 30-40 feet back) to assess how the overall output or ‘sound’ is blending from the audience’s perspective.
Dedicate non-rehearsal or non-active periods to continuous study and preparation for upcoming tasks, ensuring readiness for future engagements.
Periodically review your past performances or work after a significant time gap (e.g., six months to a year) to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and what you like or dislike with fresh perspective.
Relish an eclectic mix of influences and approaches, being non-dogmatic and choosing what feels right for the specific moment or context.