Leadership lessons from the Caloundra Music Festival.
One of my favourite weekends is the long weekend in October.
Not because of football grand finals (ugh), but because it’s the weekend of the Caloundra Music Festival.
Once again, we rolled up our sleeves and volunteered. It was loads of fun, and as the weekend progressed, it started me thinking about all the leadership lessons you can learn from a music festival!
A few that really struck me were:
Solid organisational skills are essential – unsurprisingly, music festivals involve months (if not years) of meticulous planning, processes and procedures. This year there were six stages, over 80 individuals and groups performing, hundreds of volunteers, and thousands of attendees over the three days.
Decision making and adaptability – all events require an ability to problem solve, often with minimal notice. As a former event manager, I’ve had to deal with talent no-shows, unexpected death, significant injuries and accidents on site, weather events, demanding delegates and countless other issues. If you don’t have the confidence to make big decisions and quickly, you won’t make it in this industry.
Innovation and creativity – Music festivals don’t happen without these two skills, and this was no exception. The amount of creative talent on display this weekend was mind-boggling. One of my favourite moments was Kasey Chambers singing her version of Lose Yourself by Eminem. Not only is innovation and creativity required by the artists, but also by the organisers, especially when it comes to limited resources for marketing, operations, and finance. What can you do to stretch what you have, so you can create the best event possible?
Communication that is clear, consistent and compassionate is crucial, especially with the number of people involved. There were at least five generations, as well as numerous nationalities, cultures and backgrounds, multiple communication channels and a lot of opportunities for messages to be misunderstood. Clarity of purpose, key messages and your audience are essential!
Self-care – it’s soooo easy to go hard on the first day and not be able to back up for the second and third. As a volunteer and attendee, I knew I would have long days, so I made sure I had an early couple of nights the few days before the festival. I had a plan to drink a lot of water and not a lot of coffee or alcohol, and to eat at least a few veggies. I’m proud to say there were no hangovers in my house, unlike many, many others!
