Lessons Leaders Can Learn From Springsteen

• Look after your team. Half of Bruce’s band have been with him since the early 70s. If ever there was an example of a team proving to be more than the sum of its parts, it is the legendary E Street Band.
• Take a stand. Bruce has never been afraid to embrace political causes even when some of those stances have proved initially unpopular. It pays to have the courage of your convictions.
• Take life seriously, but not too seriously. For all his gravitas, Bruce also knows when to be, as he puts it, “corny as hell”. Having a good time is never wrong.
• Embrace your contradictions. As Bruce once said: “Don’t take yourselves too seriously and take yourself as seriously as death itself. Don’t worry but worry your ass off. Have ironclad confidence. But doubt! It keeps you awake and alert. Believe you are the baddest ass in town and that you also suck – it keeps you honest."
• Don’t worry about getting old; Springsteen is 67 and regularly plays gigs lasting three hours. Just keep going. As he once said when you get old and fat that's when you know the sell-out has begun.
• Avoid the rut. Bruce always stays fresh. He takes care of himself and keeps his mind open to new ways of doing things. His lyrics from Racing In The Streets sum it up pretty well: Some guys they just give up living and start dying little by little, piece by piece, Some guys come home from work and wash up, and go racin' in the street

 

Born to Run