Lessons from Ballroom Dancing

Image by ohtoberich via Flickr

I was required to view Strictly Ballroom for a class I took awhile back. You've got to watch this movie! I would NEVER have picked up this film at my local video store! First, I don’t like ballroom dancing. Second, I normally wouldn't gravitate toward low budget, Australian films that are tagged “romantic comedies.” However, I really enjoyed this flick. Baz Luhrmann did a fantastic job of portraying real issues we have (or will) deal with, utilizing characters I’ve known personally for years! Here's a taste of Luhrmann’s message using three statements from the film:

• “IT WAS THE DANCING THAT MATTERED!” (Scott’s father, Doug Hastings)

Scott has spent his life preparing to win the Pan-Pacific Ballroom Championship. My question for Scott during the first part of the film would be, “Who are you dancing for?” In leadership, we need to ask ourselves, “Why do we do what we do?” Are we dancing/leading to GET something? If that’s our motivation, we’ll be sorely disappointed once we GET what we think we want. GETTING anything will never fill our heart. Doug was telling Scott, “Follow your heart.”

• “I CAN’T GIVE ALL THAT UP FOR A DREAM!” (Mrs. Hastings)

Scott’s mother had herself painted into a corner. She couldn’t live her dream with Doug and dance with him as they followed their hearts. They had to consider their future and dance the right steps. In the mid-1980’s, I sold a company I owned to a large corporation and managed it for them as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the parent firm. The attorney for one of my clients became a good friend. I’ll never forget the day he described the planning retreat he and all the other partners of his large law firm participated in. They all discussed where they saw the firm in 10 years. Then, they shared where they saw themselves personally in 10 years. Not one of the partners saw themselves remaining at the firm! As they took their turns sharing, they all said in one form or another, “I don’t want to be practicing law. I WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!” Some wanted to teach, others wanted to volunteer their time and skills at a community agency. Sadly, though they all had a dream they wanted to follow, none of them felt they could step out. They explained they had mortgages, car payments, children headed for college, and their families had grown accustomed to the standard of living their salaries guaranteed. They were trapped and couldn’t live their dreams!

• “WE LIVED OUR LIVES IN FEAR!” (Several characters in the film)

Don’t we all want to live lives of SIGNIFICANCE? I think we all want to MAKE A DIFFERENCE! I believe we’re wired to accomplish great things. So why do we struggle? Why do so many of us allow ourselves to get trapped on a hamster wheel, pedaling furiously, but going nowhere? We feel trapped because we are AFRAID to do something different! We are afraid of taking a risk because we might lose. I’d like us to ask ourselves, “What do I lose if I never RISK?” What great accomplishment in our future do we lose if we never step toward it? If the organizations we lead are afraid to risk, we’ll never learn the lessons that only come with trials and challenges. As somebody has pointed out, look at the technological advances our society made as a result of placing a man on the moon. In 1960 when President Kennedy said we’d do it within the decade, it was a huge RISK!


AFTER YOU WATCH THE FILM: So how did Baz Lurhmann’s film strike you? What did you learn as you watched the Hasting's struggle with following their heart versus “dancing the right steps?” As we seek to make application in our lives, is it ever right to lead in a specific direction simply because some expect it from us? How do we strike a balance between exercising sound judgment and taking a risk? How can we determine our motivation for leading? Are we leading to GET, or are we motivated to serve others as we lead? How can we tell the difference? Sorry to be so lengthy, but like I said, I LIKED THE MOVIE!