By Gregg Wartgow, Special to AEM —
A virtuoso is a highly skilled person in music or some other artistic field. But why must the concept be confined to the arts? Doesn’t it make sense for people to become virtuosos in their respective professions?
Felipe Gomez thinks so. He’s a piano virtuoso with vast experience in global management. Gomez combines his two passions to present an entertaining and eye-opening message about how individuals can become virtuosos in their careers and personal lives. He spoke at the 2024 AEM Annual Conference in November.
“A virtuoso is a person who is full of virtues,” Gomez pointed out. “A virtue is a habit of good action. It’s a natural disposition of the mind, heart, and will for doing the right things and doing things right.”
At the same time, every virtue has a vice (i.e., respect vs. disrespect, determination vs. irresolution). That is why developing virtues requires a concerted effort. According to Gomez, becoming a virtuoso ultimately comes down to complying with three core pillars:
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Rigorously following a proven method
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Assuming the right attitude that allows connections to be made with others
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Doing things with passion to further create an emotional bond with others
“These are very subtle shifts in our mindset and behavior that are going to make a huge impact on ourselves and the people around us,” Gomez said.
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Method
Method leads to mastery, and there are three important virtues that support the method.
First is magnanimity, which Gomez describes as the ability to dream big. Second is discipline, because achieving ambitious goals doesn’t happen automatically. Achieving ambitious goals requires the right execution, which is why musicians practice until it becomes habitual. Third is perseverance, because discipline can’t be fleeting.
When those three virtues are relentlessly pursued, it opens the door to operational excellence — especially when everyone on the team is singing the same tune.
“It’s human nature to gravitate toward the comfort zone of doing things ‘good enough,’” Gomez said. “To do things in an extraordinary way, I invite you to approach the things you do every day with a different optic. Do something as if it’s the first, last, and only time in your life that you’re going to do it. If you build that habit, everything you do will be more intentional. That’s when things start to change.”
Gomez also invites people to ask themselves the following questions:
- Do I make a deliberate effort to learn new things that will help improve my personal and professional performance?
- Do I encourage others to learn something new every day?
- Do I make an effort to master the available tools in order to generate value?
- How can I do my job in a more efficient way?
- What activities or processes can we improve as a team or company?
“A virtuoso is a person who is full of virtues. A virtue is a habit of good action. It’s a natural disposition of the mind, heart, and will for doing the right things and doing things right.” -- Pianist Felipe Gomez
Attitude
This pillar isn’t about being smart or demonstrating you are good at a particular task. Gomez said it’s more about your emotional intelligence and how you behave.
“I am convinced that the attitudes we assume in life can be related to music,” Gomez said. “And if you make an effort, you can almost hear the music.”
What does your music sound like to your different audiences? People who are agile and pleasant to work with might sound like a silky-smooth blues riff. People who are pessimistic and unenergetic might sound like the melancholy backdrop during a sad scene in a movie.
“The music we’re projecting will determine whether or not we’ll be able to connect with the people around us,” Gomez said. “It’s important to become aware of the music you’re projecting, and then become more intentional about projecting the right kind of music.”
In order to do that, Gomez said a person must develop three vital virtues. The first is empathy.
“Can you step into another person’s shoes and think what they’re thinking?” Gomez asked. “When you can do that, everything you say and do will be intelligent from an emotional perspective.”
The second virtue is service. Gomez said you should call someone every day to find out how you can help them. “This goes far beyond the concept of customer service,” Gomez pointed out. “This is about service as a way of living.”
The third virtue is doing it all with humility. When you serve with arrogance, Gomez said you’re raising your elbow when you lead with your hand. “The best definition of humility is to silence your virtues and allow people to discover them. That is leading by example,” Gomez said.
There are some simple things people can do to begin “changing their music.” Gomez said it starts with your eyes. Making eye contact in this era of smartphones is a simple, yet powerful, behavior that can elevate interactions to a new level. Smiling and projecting joy and optimism is even more impactful.
When you change your music on a professional level, it’s wise to play the same notes in your personal life.
“When you aren’t projecting good music at home, you won’t be able to perform in an extraordinary way at work,” Gomez said. Ask your family and friends about the music you’re projecting. “If you don’t like what they tell you, change your music so it can be an amplifier of excellence,” Gomez advised.
Passion
This pillar is the most important, yet least evident. It’s also where people and companies can gain a competitive advantage in today’s environment.
“Every company in the world is working on improving their operational excellence, so that is no longer a competitive advantage,” Gomez said. The same can be said about building a culture based on many of the virtues Gomez has discussed thus far. “But very few companies are investing the same resources to spread passion and love throughout their organizations,” Gomez added. “This is what makes the difference. Passion is the tipping point.”
Think about that musical virtuoso you see in concert. As Gomez related, what often gives you goosebumps is the passion they exude on stage.
Love is a virtue within this pillar. Gomez said love is best summarized by wishing the good of the other. Love is noticeable when a salesperson is selling to a customer, a leader is working with their team, etc.
“With this incredible revolution of AI we’ll experience over the next five years, this moment in history is the perfect opportunity to allow our humanism to flourish,” Gomez said. “The best way to do that is to do everything with love.”
Love and passion are also what ignite innovation.
“Innovation is not an option today, it’s an obligation,” Gomez said. “The individuals and companies with passion are the ones who ask themselves every day, ‘How can we do this better?’”
To achieve that frame of mind, Gomez said another virtue must come into play: courage. Individuals and companies must have the courage to venture outside of their comfort zone to experiment and take chances, and ultimately learn, improve, and succeed. As Gomez related, even a musical virtuoso may hit a wrong note once in a while. That’s forgivable. But playing without passion is not.
Unharnessed passion can be counterproductive, though. That is why the virtue of prudence is especially important. As Gomez explained, prudence is the regulator of all other virtues and behaviors. Sometimes it’s a balancing act. When analyzing quarterly results, for example, discipline and service must be the guiding virtues. In a strategic meeting, on the other hand, magnanimity must play a more prominent role.
“Becoming a virtuoso in life and business requires the ability, through prudence, to regulate all of these virtues based on the circumstances,” Gomez said. “When you can do that, it becomes very powerful.”
