Byron's Babbles

I have been a huge fan of the rap rock band Linkin Park since the beginning. Their music has exceptional storytelling qualities. The stories in their songs deliver meaning while obfuscating just enough to keep us thinking. Linkin Park’s songs carry a secret power – they make you think deeply about a subject that suddenly you are making your own sense of. Art at its highest form.

The addition of Emily Armstrong was a a perfect fit. Their comeback single The Emptiness Machine picks up right where they left off. The first time I heard it I was like, “Wow this is what people are struggling with in their careers.” How do we find purpose? How do we sort through false promises? How do we sort through the coercion, manipulation, and leadership by fear? As the song says, “Gave up who I am for who you wanted me to be; Don’t know why I’m hopin’ for what I won’t receive; Fallin’ for the promise of the emptiness machine; The emptiness machine.” The Emptiness Machine reflects themes of internal struggle, existential questioning, and the search for meaning, which offer us valuable lessons as leaders.

The lines, “I only wanted to be part of something; I only wanted to be part of, part of; I only wanted to be part of something; I only wanted to be part of, part of; I only wanted to be part of something; I only wanted to be part” say it all. We all want to belong and be part of something – not just carrying out some so called leaders prideful ambition. After food and safety on Maslow’s Pyramid comes the need to belong. We need to actively support others by getting to know them,
creating opportunities for them to make meaningful social connections and ensuring they have meaningful
contact with us.

The struggle for meaning highlighted in the song underscores the necessity of having a clear purpose. Leaders should articulate a vision that resonates with their team, providing direction and motivation. Belonging takes different forms for different people: cultural, social, sensory, embodied, spatial, material, temporal. Each of
these needs must be given consideration. Boundaries must be recognized and dismantled. To help others find a place to belong we must listen to, accept, appreciate, and understand how others’ purposes mesh with our organization’s purpose. It does not mean everyone must agree, for those differences are what make us great as individual humans and as organizations.

Everyone has some place or setting in which they can feel they belong. For some this is easily and readily attainable, but others will need additional support. Let’s make sure we are not creating organizations that are just empty machines.