Welcome to Led By Rhythm!
Music has always been a defining part of my life. At the age of five, my parents enrolled me in a music school, where I studied music theory and learned to play the piano.
Later, as a teenager, I discovered another dimension of music through dance, immersing myself in the vibrant rhythms of Latin American music—mambo, salsa, and cha-cha-cha. I also started DJ-ing, attending live concerts, and collecting albums, deepening my passion for music. Whether studying, spending time with friends, or simply unwinding, music was always my constant companion. I guess I was always led by rhythm.
But then I grew up, studied engineering and somehow lost touch with who I was. I became more shy and closed to myself.
Perhaps it was lack of confidence, perhaps fear of others. I am not sure what it was causing it but I was really struggling in expressing myself freely in front of others. It was as if I had all these voices inside my head telling me to avoid embarrassment. I just couldn’t overcome my shyness.
When I started dancing, I was almost terrified in the thought that I would have to lead my partner on the dance floor where all mistakes were visible to everyone around us. In the dance floor, like in the theatrical or music stage, every mistake is exposed, there is no hiding. This was not only a difficult mental obstacle to overcome. It was also a false verification of my bias that leadership is only for the special ones.
It took many years of classes and hundreds of partners before eventually becoming a confident and capable lead. My whole learning experience was a revelation on what leadership is and how anyone, if they are willing to put the effort, and have the right mentality, can become a leader.
I am not sure if other types of dance would have had the same impact, but for some reason Cuban Salsa liberated me. It showed me that I could dance with anybody, no matter who they were, and be unapologetically myself.
Dancing taught me that there are no strangers, only interesting new people we haven’t met yet. It made me realise how exciting and fulfilling life could be when we connect with others. It helped me discover myself through others.
I started experiencing a change across all areas of my life. At work, I started networking and interacting with more people than ever before, I became more authentic and somehow people sensed it and became more open around me. Eventually I became a better manager and a better leader.
Cuban Salsa helped me rediscover who I was and feel whole again.
Led By Rhythm is for anyone who has stepped into a leadership role for the first time, and feels out of step. If you’ve ever looked at confident people and wondered whether leadership is just not for you, I want you to know: it isn’t a gift. It’s about quieting the noise in your head and finding your rhythm.
And you don’t have to do it alone!
Why Rhythm Leads to Influence and Connection
If you observe babies and toddlers they love rhythmic rhymes and spontaneously shake to the rhythm. They also try to connect with people around them by synchronising with their moves and sounds. Even before we can talk, we have a natural response to rhythm.
Universally, irrespective of culture, humans developed dance rituals which helped foster a sense of communion and belonging. In these rituals drums and chanting were used to synchronise them, creating a physical connection.
Bronwyn Tarr, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford showed in her research that moving in synchronisation helps improve trust and closeness between people, encouraging social bonding.
Specifically, she mentions that people who dance in rhythmic coordination report that they like each other more, are more willing to help their partner, and even feel that they have similar personalities. In short, moving in rhythm with others doesn’t just feel good, it builds the kind of trust and belonging that no team-building exercise can create.
Cuban Salsa as an Inspiration
Cuban music is a fusion of West African and Spanish music styles. Because of that it is one of the richest and more influential musics in the world. Most popular music styles of the early 20th century (Salsa, Mambo, Cha cha cha, Rhumba, Tango, Bolero, Jazz) along with modern pop and dance music can trace their roots back to Cuban Son.
Cuban music is defined by its polyrhythmic nature, where multiple percussion instruments play contrasting rhythmic patterns. This interplay disrupts conventional rhythmic flow, replacing monotony with dynamic, intricate beats that make the music vibrant and unpredictable.
In a way, Cuban music with its dynamic rhythms and asymmetric patterns, represents the interdependent relationships and complex communication in organisations.
But it is hard for someone to listen to and distinguish all the different beats.
Despite the complexity, these interwoven rhythms remain cohesive, anchored by the Clave—a simple yet powerful rhythmic pattern played with two wooden sticks.
The clave doesn’t tell the other instruments what to do. The Clave serves as a unifying framework, ensuring that even the most intricate rhythms stay synchronized, transforming what might seem chaotic into a beautifully structured musical experience.
In life, like in Cuban Salsa, it is easy for someone to get lost in the complexity of overlapping rhythms. But like the Clave, there is always a simple but powerful underlying rhythmic pattern that brings everything together.
The question becomes how to discover it and use it to lead yourself and others.
