Another adventure on my 60-4-60 Quest!
Fun and learning every time, so far.
🎯 The Idea That Almost Didn’t Happen
When I first put together my 60-4-60 list – 60 fun activities to do with others between my 60th and 61st birthdays – singing with strangers wasn’t on it.
Actually, it almost didn’t happen at all:👉 It wasn’t in the original draft
👉 A friend in Toronto only suggested it recently
👉 I pencilled it in below the 60th line, in the “buffer” space
👉 I already sing in a choir
👉 My choir declined the invitation when I suggested it
So, I shelved the idea.
Then, another friend wanted to celebrate my birthday with a play. I wasn’t feeling the play – and I definitely wanted to spend time with her.
So, I pitched a few things and this one resonated…
🎉 Enter: Choir! Choir! Choir! We went to Choir! Choir! Choir!, an interactive, participatory singing experience run by two hilarious, passionate guys from Toronto.
🎤 No auditions.
🎶 No sheet music.
💃 No pressure.
Just show up, be present, open your heart, and sing.
✨ The Experience
Once we arrived, something beautiful started unfolding.
✨ We moved to the music
✨ We harmonized, in groups of strangers
✨ We put away our phones
✨ We celebrated a couple’s 40th anniversary
✨ We called someone we love live while singing Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You”
What started as a “maybe” became a full-body YES.
❤️ Why It Mattered
This wasn’t just about singing.
It was about so much more.
Letting go.
Believing and trusting.
No hiding.
No striving for perfection.
Just showing up- open, messy, human – and becoming part of something bigger than myself.
We often forget that connection, risk, spontaneity, safety, and presence are where life actually happens.
And leadership, too.
👑 What This Taught Me About Leadership
This experience offered more than good vibes. It delivered unexpected, profound leadership insights. In hindsight, because in the moment it was just the experience.
- Be Open to the Unexpected
Leadership isn’t a fixed script.
If I had stuck rigidly to my plan, I would’ve missed this magic moment.
Saying yes to an unexpected opportunity opened the door to connection and joy.
- Lead with Relationships
I wasn’t excited about the activity at first.
I was excited about spending time with someone I cared about.
That relationship became the gateway to something extraordinary.
Often, it’s not the task – it’s the people we do it with. Same in leadership – focus on the person and your relationship and the performance will follow.
- Trust the Process
This didn’t seem like a “real contender” for the 60-4-60 list.
I followed the energy anyway.
Leadership sometimes means taking a step before you’re 100% convinced – and letting the process show you what’s possible.
- Let Others Lift the Idea
My friend lit up at the suggestion – her energy reignited mine.
Leaders don’t have to carry it all alone. When we let others fuel the fire, amazing things can happen.
- Redefine Contribution
No one cared if we were “great singers.”
We just needed to show up.
True leadership creates space for contribution without perfection.
Participation matters more than performance, especially initially.
🌈 Culture Matters
The guys running Choir! Choir! Choir! did more than lead songs.
They created a culture of trust, joy, and play.
We felt safe to be try.
We felt encouraged to be fully engage.
We felt free to connect
We felt motivated to do our best.
Leadership isn’t just about tasks – it’s about setting the tone that ignites others to perform.
🎊 It Was About Us
This wasn’t about individual achievement.
It was about a shared, electric, unforgettable togetherness.
We were part of something bigger.
That’s what great leadership does — it brings people together in a way that lifts everyone.
🎁 Excitement as a Strategy
We rarely talk about emotions in the workplace.
Leaders often dread conflict, tears, and burnout.
These are external manifestations of anger, fear, and stress which few managers want to acknowledge.
Yet organizations want engagement, motivation, confidence, appreciation and more.
Excitement isn’t fluff.
Excitement is fuel.
Excitement is glue.
Excitement or at least happiness builds morale, trust, and momentum.
The next time you think something happiness or excitement isn’t “serious” enough for leadership, think again.
🌟 One Little Idea, Big Impact
This event almost didn’t happen because it didn’t seem “big enough.”
And yet…
It’s one of the activities I’ve reflected on the most on my 60-4-60 journey so far.
Great leaders know: sometimes the small things carry the greatest impact.
💬 Your Turn
What’s one thing you underestimated that brought you unexpected joy?
Message me – it might just inspire my next activity (or yours).
🎵 TL;DR – Leadership Lessons From Singing With Strangers
✅ Say yes to opportunities, especially off plan ones
✅ Choose connection over task, performance will follow
✅ Trust the process, let it unfold
✅ Let others bring the energy, lean on others too
✅ Redefine success as showing up
✅ Create safe, joyful spaces
✅ Celebrate together
✅ Be a joy multiplier
✅ Value excitement as a leadership tool
✅ Look deeper – small moments often hold the most meaning
Thank you, Choir! Choir! Choir!, for helping me find my voice in more ways than one.
And thank you to my friend, for being the reason I showed up in the first place.
🎤🎶 Here’s to the next joyful surprise on this 60-4-60 adventure!
