by: Laura Neidig
Do you feel like it’s impossible to get your remote team working in harmony? Too often, we look at leading remote projects and teams as making the best of a bad situation. We look at the barriers, rather than the possibilities. Here’s an example of a classical musician using online collaboration to literally have everyone “singing out of the same songbook.”
Classical composer Eric Whitacre is one of the most popular and performed composers of our time, a distinguished conductor, broadcaster and public speaker. He won a Grammy in 2012 for Light & Gold. This album became the #1 classical album in the US and UK. So what does a classical composer have to do with remote leadership?
A classic leadership example with a virtual twist
Whitacre has made a name for himself with many musical exploits, but one of his most well-known is his virtual choir. What started as a YouTube submission from one fan in 2008 grew to the first virtual choir of 185 singers submitting videos of themselves singing and eventually has grown to the latest choir — Virtual Choir 4 — which included 8,409 videos from 101 countries. See his TED talk where he presented a live virtual choir.
The product that Whitacre gets – thousands of voices he otherwise would not have access to if he only worked with those singers that could drive to a rehearsal – is astounding. And, he has created a global collaboration that has become an ambassador for music education. Not to mention a prime example of what infusing creativity into a project can do.
Endless possibilities
And not to mention what doors working in a virtual setting can open. Whitacre perfectly demonstrates the valuable opportunity in a virtual setting: When we realize the possibilities we have at our finger tips – endless talent that doesn’t have to be in the next cubicle or down the road – we can realize infinite possibilities!
If you lead remotely, consider expanding the talent pool at your fingertips. And if you need a little help along the way, check out the Remote Leadership Institute at www.remoteleadership.com
About the Author:
Laura Neidig is the Marketing and Communications Specialist at The Kevin Eikenberry Group.
A native of New Jersey, she has moved around the country while her husband was in the Army, settling in Indiana in 1997. Since then, she has worked in marketing and public relations in the Indianapolis community. Her most recent position was as the Marketing Director of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, the largest children’s choir in the world. She is also Marketing Liaison for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, and is the recipient of 5 Emmy nominations and 4 Emmy awards for her work.
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