Once upon a time, in a pre-covid world, a guy participated in a stage play with a drama group. The participation consisted of hours of training, dedication, and hard work. On the day of the performance, without prior notice, the organizers shifted the venue to an unkempt activity center. Hurt and dejected, the group members decided to forego the show and vowed to not perform. It was mayhem. A classic case of confused minds and dejected lions. Amid the confusion, the event organizers informed him that despite a tight schedule they were open to the possibility of them performing in the last. All that was required was to uplift the mood of the group and return the pride of the dejected members. But how?
How do you persuade a proud group of people?
This is my story. In my experiences as a traveling enthusiast, I have been receptive to different ideologies, beliefs, and multicultural interactions. This receptiveness is not governed by socio-logical belief but rather by a creative approach that “amid a pack of lions always go for the head”. The same goes for people. Targeting the leader of a group or influencing the brain of an organization can indirectly uplift the mood of the entire pack.
But why?
People usually find comfort in old and familiar customs and arguments in defiance do not always reciprocate. Newness can provoke a sense of withdrawal, for example, the reaction of the drama group. When the organizers adopted new methods the group’s pride took it to resist. Resistance to the new is a pervasive issue and it absorbs a great deal of time and effort. Albeit, if one absorbs, the others seek to follow.
So what did I do? I went for the head.
I reminded the pack of its main purpose and made sure that it reached the ears of the head of the group- their leader. They were there to perform and that is what they must do. A belief which helped me bring to life the spirit of the group. In the act of togetherness, we walked to the stage and performed our bit. Did we win? Definitely not, but we won the applause of the audience, the organizers, and the jury members. Despite being dejected and hurt, the group retained its pride, while teaching me the art of influencing from the front.
After all, one need not always tackle issues head-on. It is good to be a lion, but you need not always fight like one.
by boringbug
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boringbug.com 
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