Daily Inspiration: Leadership -“Have you ever realized that maybe it’s your attitude that has you winning in the race to irrelevance?”

“Have you ever realized that maybe it’s your attitude that has you winning in the race to irrelevance?” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Only a fool dares believe that their past defines their future.

I’ve met a lot of fools. Hubris, arrogance, imperiousness – these are the sins of failure – all of which can lead a company, or organization to the brink of failure through a race to irrelevance.

With that, read the article posted by the retiring CEO of the Music Teachers National Association with his thoughts on keeping the past and future in balance. Interestingly enough, the title of his article is ‘Evading Irrelevance.’ Keep that in mind as you read his words.

On December 2, 2023, I began my 28th, and final, year as CEO of MTNA. As most of you know, I am retiring from my position, effective June 30, 2024. The past few months have been a special time of reflection for me, recalling countless fond and profound memories of serving MTNA and its very special members. At the same time, I have been wondering what the future holds, both personally and for the association.

This dichotomy of simultaneously looking backward and forward has taken on new meaning for me now that I am so near the finish line. But, in reality, it has been a regular aspect of my leadership over the past three decades. I’ve spent a great deal of time “looking backward” at MTNA’s rich history and traditions since its founding in 1876. Equally, I have spent countless hours “looking forward” to ensure we continue to have a vital and unique role in the future of music teaching.

My goal has been to hold these two opposing forces, the new and the traditional, in creative tension and not allow either to exclude the other. In fact, I believe that the future of our association rests in our ability to affirm, on the one hand, our great traditions while at the same time to confront courageously the issues and opportunities that are presenting themselves in the new age in which we live. In doing so, we reconcile the best of what has been established with the best of today’s new ideas and opportunities.

The eminent music historian Donald J. Grout in his magnum opus, A History of Western Music, said it best: “Reconciliation of the new with the traditional is the task that confronts every artist in his own generation, and one that can be evaded only at the price of artistic suicide.” The statement applies equally to associations like MTNA striving to evade organizational irrelevance.

The future of MTNA will be secure if it remains committed to reconciliation of the new with the traditional. Let us continue to affirm the great successes of the past with the knowledge that the best of everything lies ahead.

Gary L. Ingle
Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer

Evading Irrelevance
11 February 2024, American Music Teacher

Read, once again, that brilliant closing phrase:

The future of MTNA will be secure if it remains committed to reconciliation of the new with the traditional. Let us continue to affirm the great successes of the past with the knowledge that the best of everything lies ahead.

That, perhaps, is one of the best summaries I have ever seen about leadership.  What that phrase in mind,  what are you doing to keep in balance the trends that will define your tomorrow along with the reality of where you are today?

Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of companies and the leaders in charge follow a path down to irrelevance. Either they have not clearly understood how their world is changing and have refused to act, or they have been blind to the change and have failed to act. Either way, their fate is assured in the face of relentless change. When everything changes and you don’t, your fate is doomed – you are on the path to irrelevance. You need to go forward with certain basic realities in mind:

• if you aren’t innovating fast enough, products that don’t yet exist based on ideas not yet conceived will challenge your market dominance
• if you aren’t innovating at speed, your customers will see through your products and your brand as tired and old
• if you aren’t aware of new competitors that might be emerging that might challenge you, you will likely be caught flatfooted by surprise
• if you haven’t realigned yourself with a focus on agility and speed, you’ll be moving too slowly in a fast-paced world
• if you haven’t accelerated your knowledge asset capabilities, the skills that you have to take you into a new and different future will be lacking
• if you haven’t infused your organization with the spirit of new thinking you’ll be encumbered by old ideas

The big problem with all of these issues is that many leaders become far too immersed in their focus on the present day and not enough on tomorrow. The result is that their attitude that they are doing the ‘right thing’ – staying focused on the issues of today – is far more important than working harder to get to tomorrow. This brings about the reality that their attitude brings about their fall.

History is littered with the wreckage of organizations that did not step up to the plate of the speed of future trends, and who have failed to adapt to fast-paced market change.

The degree of blindness determines how quickly change can happen to them – the speed of the race to irrelevance.