The Times They Are a-Changin’ – The Lyrical Wisdom of Bob Dylan

Fatima Cabral, CEO | May 14, 2020 | 1 comments Leadership Organizational Change Management Lean

As Dan says in his intro to the video, I think this song has a special meaning for many of us today as we search for a new norm and try to stay strong.

Often, song lyrics inspire us. Move us. Excite us. And, sometimes, lyrics make us think. This is one of my go-to songs when I need perspective, especially the first verse:

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’

In recent times, there is no doubt the waters around us have grown. Here’s a question: How are you and your teams doing? Are you all swimming – dog paddling, treading water, synchronizing your styles – or floundering?

Lyrical Wisdom and You
Change is inevitable. Accept there are situations you cannot do anything about; but that doesn’t mean you’re powerless to move forward. Take action! You don’t have to be left behind; it’s up to you. This is my interpretation of Dylan’s message in the first verse. While it’s a very simple notion, it’s also a powerful one. That’s often the case in life; the simplest things are the most powerful and meaningful. Life is complicated on many levels; but, in other ways, quite simple. A dichotomy. Moving on or finding a new norm can be hard, but sometimes can be as simple as just taking a first stroke forward, then another….

Lyrical Wisdom and Leadership
If you’re in an influential leadership role, the lyrical message rings particularly true. The pace of business and change is only accelerating, so it’s important to be a forward-thinking, take-charge leader. One who holds an overall vision that is used to guide, while easily adapting to changing trends and tides. One who can lead his or her team through deep treacherous waters and inspire them all to swim together instead of allowing them to flounder on their own. Strong leadership is especially critical in times that are a-changin’. Your team must trust in you and have confidence that you will guide them effectively when the waters around you have grown. Do you inspire your team to swim forward with you?

The power of swimming forward together has never been so important.

Want to Learn More?
There are many books that have inspired me over the years to “swim” on both personal and leadership levels. Here are a few suggestions to add to your reading list:

I also highly recommend these exceptional leadership courses by Pink Elephant. Register before June 26 and take advantage of our Here Comes The Sun sale!

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Thankyou

Sifana k j | February 23, 2021 at 1:03am

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