As leaders, we're giving out grades in every encounter we have with people. We can choose to give out grades as an expectation to live up to, and then we can reassess them according to performance. Or we can offer grades as a possibility to live into. The second approach is much more powerful.

Benjamin Zander

Categorized in : People Giving Powerful

The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound. He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful.

Benjamin Zander

music motivation inspirational

My job [is] to awaken possibility in other people. If their eyes are shining, you know you're doing it. If they're not shining you get to ask this question: "Who am I being that my children's eyes are not shining?"

Benjamin Zander

eye jobs children

I have a definition of success. For me it's very simple. It's not about wealth and fame and power. It's about how many shining eyes I have around me.

Benjamin Zander

shining eye simple

Throw yourself into life as someone who makes a difference, accepting that you may not understand how or why.

Benjamin Zander

making-a-difference differences may

When you make a mistake, throw your hands in the air and say "How fascinating!"

Benjamin Zander

air mistake hands

In the measurement world, we set a goal and strive to achieve it. In the universe of possibility, we set the context and let life unfold.

Benjamin Zander

measurement goal world

This is the moment — this is the most important moment right now. Which is: We are about contribution. That’s what our job is. It’s not about impressing people. It’s not about getting the next job. It’s about contributing something.

Benjamin Zander

important jobs people

It’s one of the characteristics of a leader that he not doubt for one moment the capacity of the people he’s leading to realize whatever he’s dreaming. Imagine if Martin Luther King had said, ‘I have a dream. Of course, I’m not sure they’ll be up to it.

Benjamin Zander

kings dream people

The job of the leader is to speak to the possibility.

Benjamin Zander

vision leadership jobs

I'm so sorry for you; your lives have been so easy. You can't play great music unless your heart's been broken.

Benjamin Zander

sorry play heart

It's not a question of how much power you can hoard for yourself, but how much you can give away.

Benjamin Zander

giving

Everybody loves classical music they just don't know about it yet.

Benjamin Zander

classical-music knows

The major difference between the 'best' and the 'average' is that the 'best' get as much pleasure from practice as performance.

Benjamin Zander

learning teaching practice

My job is to awaken possibility in other people.

Benjamin Zander

possibility jobs people

Look at their eyes. If their eyes are shining, you know you're doing it.

Benjamin Zander

shining eye looks

South Africa is a country built on possibility. Possibility lies in making a difference and creating value from a situation - without denying that certain issues exist.

Benjamin Zander

creating-value country lying

How often do we stand convinced of the truth of our early memories, forgetting that they are assessments made by a child? We can replace the narratives that hold us back by inventing wiser stories, free from childish fears, and, in doing so, disperse long-held psychological stumbling blocks.

Benjamin Zander

block memories children

Who am I being that my players' eyes are not shining?

Benjamin Zander

shining eye player

I make myself a relentless architect of the possibilities of human beings.

Benjamin Zander

relentless architect possibility

I have a definition of success.

Benjamin Zander

definition-of-success definitions