Robin, this is such a rich piece and your ability to extract Beyoncé's brilliance and translate it into something we can all learn from is a gift. I always enjoy a good analysis of inspiring minds, and you do it without making it feel like a stretch.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Pattie Gonia and how she channels her particular brand of awesomeness for the greater good. The way she uses joy as a serious tactic for environmental activism feels like its own kind of Beyoncification, and the Patagonia lawsuit situation adds a whole layer of complexity I'd love to see you untangle.
This quote stayed with me: "We can keep using our gifts to care, to connect, and to create, and when we do, we reject corporate dehumanization and align ourselves with Life." That's a beautiful intention. And intention is the easy part. What I keep coming back to is the accountability question: how do we actually stay true to that in the middle of everything that's pulling us in the other direction? What does it look like in practice, not just as a value but as a daily discipline, especially right now when the forces of dehumanization feel so loud and relentless?
Your Beyoncé frame also surfaces something I sit with a lot in my work. It is so much easier to build your own culture from scratch, especially in a short-term project or a small ensemble where you have creative control, than it is to turn the tide of an existing organization steeped in deep, long-held patterns. Beyoncé had the power, the platform, and the vision to build exactly the culture she wanted. Most leaders I work with are fighting against cultures they inherited. Taking inspiration from her boldness is absolutely worth doing, and I also wonder how we help leaders who are still stuck in the old game see that a different one is even possible. That's the harder and more important challenge. Can't wait to talk Tuesday!
Thank you for this generous, rich comment, Amy! I thought Pattie Gonia's TED talk was 100% Beyoncification. The lawsuit strikes me as a shame and, on the other hand, Patagonia claims they've tried to address the trademark / brand "infringement" outside the legal system with no success. You could argue, though, that an environmental activist drag queen can only enhance your brand.
Bey created her own Beychella culture but her own mother, Tina Knowles, was very nervous that Beyonce chose to center the theme on HBCUs. She didn't think white people would understand. Lucky for us, her vision prevailed - both at Coachella and when she decided to reimagine the country music arena. True leadership takes courage, whether creating a culture from scratch or working to change an existing culture.
I look forward to watching the film. I’d never really listened to Beyoncé until Cowboy Carter, which I listened to end to end and loved. Wasn’t that I wasn’t a fan I just hadn’t been properly introduced to her music. She is clearly so much more than her musical talent, and I really appreciate this perspective. I think it’s the best of your writing - that I’ve had the opportunity read. Honestly I feel lucky to be at the tail end of my career, although I worry for both my kids and grand daughter. In some ways I see & feel today’s youth as so much more progressive than my generation and a couple in between, not politically progressive (although they are that too) but thoughtfully progressive and building amazing community with their peers, but it’s impossible not to also see how much more difficult it is to get by. When you’re worried about paying the bills, feeding your kids, there’s not a lot of room for personal growth.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Stacy. I think community is the way we survive and, hopefully, thrive into the uncertain future. As the Berkana Research slogan says, "Whatever the problem, community is the answer."
Great article Robin. We can meet the creativity and inspiration within ourselves using examples of people like Beyoncé who are doing it, big time! We must reclaim that in each of us we must not give in to a AI generated world that takes humanity from us.
Well naturally I'm honored to be included in your Beyoncé homage! And I'm always beyond impressed at the zeitgeisty ways you draw connections between culture and business.
Another thing I will add that we can learn from Beyoncé. She has been seeing this era she's in in three acts. I think it might help to see one's professional life that way. Laid off? Time to think about Act 2. Along those lines: you can make art, if not business, out of your setbacks. Art doesn't have to be music or painting. It can be a memoir you never publish, or a new skill you've always wanted to learn. I was only laid off once in my career. Dot-bomb of the 90s. I was in my early-40s, I think. I had been working since I was 15. I took the time to make a short film--I'd always wanted to do that, but I didn't know how, so I found people who did and we did it together (as it happens, the film was about Madonna, who is another ground-breaking artist like Beyoncé.) I gave myself four months, before I even started looking.
In some traditions the "in-between" time is called the bardo. It can be a very rich and creative time.
What a great read! Fun to see Mark being Mark, too!
Robin, this is such a rich piece and your ability to extract Beyoncé's brilliance and translate it into something we can all learn from is a gift. I always enjoy a good analysis of inspiring minds, and you do it without making it feel like a stretch.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Pattie Gonia and how she channels her particular brand of awesomeness for the greater good. The way she uses joy as a serious tactic for environmental activism feels like its own kind of Beyoncification, and the Patagonia lawsuit situation adds a whole layer of complexity I'd love to see you untangle.
This quote stayed with me: "We can keep using our gifts to care, to connect, and to create, and when we do, we reject corporate dehumanization and align ourselves with Life." That's a beautiful intention. And intention is the easy part. What I keep coming back to is the accountability question: how do we actually stay true to that in the middle of everything that's pulling us in the other direction? What does it look like in practice, not just as a value but as a daily discipline, especially right now when the forces of dehumanization feel so loud and relentless?
Your Beyoncé frame also surfaces something I sit with a lot in my work. It is so much easier to build your own culture from scratch, especially in a short-term project or a small ensemble where you have creative control, than it is to turn the tide of an existing organization steeped in deep, long-held patterns. Beyoncé had the power, the platform, and the vision to build exactly the culture she wanted. Most leaders I work with are fighting against cultures they inherited. Taking inspiration from her boldness is absolutely worth doing, and I also wonder how we help leaders who are still stuck in the old game see that a different one is even possible. That's the harder and more important challenge. Can't wait to talk Tuesday!
Thank you for this generous, rich comment, Amy! I thought Pattie Gonia's TED talk was 100% Beyoncification. The lawsuit strikes me as a shame and, on the other hand, Patagonia claims they've tried to address the trademark / brand "infringement" outside the legal system with no success. You could argue, though, that an environmental activist drag queen can only enhance your brand.
Bey created her own Beychella culture but her own mother, Tina Knowles, was very nervous that Beyonce chose to center the theme on HBCUs. She didn't think white people would understand. Lucky for us, her vision prevailed - both at Coachella and when she decided to reimagine the country music arena. True leadership takes courage, whether creating a culture from scratch or working to change an existing culture.
I look forward to watching the film. I’d never really listened to Beyoncé until Cowboy Carter, which I listened to end to end and loved. Wasn’t that I wasn’t a fan I just hadn’t been properly introduced to her music. She is clearly so much more than her musical talent, and I really appreciate this perspective. I think it’s the best of your writing - that I’ve had the opportunity read. Honestly I feel lucky to be at the tail end of my career, although I worry for both my kids and grand daughter. In some ways I see & feel today’s youth as so much more progressive than my generation and a couple in between, not politically progressive (although they are that too) but thoughtfully progressive and building amazing community with their peers, but it’s impossible not to also see how much more difficult it is to get by. When you’re worried about paying the bills, feeding your kids, there’s not a lot of room for personal growth.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Stacy. I think community is the way we survive and, hopefully, thrive into the uncertain future. As the Berkana Research slogan says, "Whatever the problem, community is the answer."
Happy almost retirement!
Love this, Robin. Thanks for figuring out how to inspire in not so inspiring times.
Great article Robin. We can meet the creativity and inspiration within ourselves using examples of people like Beyoncé who are doing it, big time! We must reclaim that in each of us we must not give in to a AI generated world that takes humanity from us.
Thank you! 😊
Well naturally I'm honored to be included in your Beyoncé homage! And I'm always beyond impressed at the zeitgeisty ways you draw connections between culture and business.
Another thing I will add that we can learn from Beyoncé. She has been seeing this era she's in in three acts. I think it might help to see one's professional life that way. Laid off? Time to think about Act 2. Along those lines: you can make art, if not business, out of your setbacks. Art doesn't have to be music or painting. It can be a memoir you never publish, or a new skill you've always wanted to learn. I was only laid off once in my career. Dot-bomb of the 90s. I was in my early-40s, I think. I had been working since I was 15. I took the time to make a short film--I'd always wanted to do that, but I didn't know how, so I found people who did and we did it together (as it happens, the film was about Madonna, who is another ground-breaking artist like Beyoncé.) I gave myself four months, before I even started looking.
In some traditions the "in-between" time is called the bardo. It can be a very rich and creative time.
Thank you for extending the thinking, Mark. And I so love your film about Madonna.