The piano lesson

In my early teens, I started taking piano lessons.

My teacher was Mrs Powell, a kindly elderly lady with a lot of patience.

I was definitely not a natural.

But Mrs Powell taught me technique, set me exercises, and gave me feedback.

And I loved being able to play a piece once I’d mastered it.

Moonlight Sonata. The Entertainer. Various things by Simon & Garfunkel.

(The height of cool.)

Our piano was in the living room, next to the big window that stood open on summer evenings.

Neighbours used to say they were being serenaded as they walked down the street.

😇

And what enabled me to get to that point… was practice.

I showed up consistently. Week after week, in Mrs Powell’s tiny back room.

And I was motivated. I wanted to be a better piano player to play those pieces I loved.

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In a world where soft skills are more important than ever,

We all have the capacity to speak effectively in public.

To create change through our words, and ideas.

Most of us haven’t been taught how to do so.


The good news? It’s never too late to learn.

If there's one thing I can recommend, it's practice.

And (another thing): get feedback.

Practice isn't about perfection. It's about progress and growth.

That’s what boosts our confidence, and ability to lead.

And means we can “play pieces” – or make presentations and pitches - we love.

Photo by Lorenzo Spoleti on Unsplash