I was sitting in my car the other morning, gripping the steering wheel a little too tight before a big presentation. You know the feeling. The mental rehearsal is running at 2x speed, your heart is thumping a rhythm that doesn’t quite match the calm face you’re trying to put on, and the “what ifs” are starting to crowd out the “I cans.”
I hit shuffle on my favorite playlist.
The first notes of a song I’ve heard a thousand times started to play, and suddenly, the air in the car felt lighter. My shoulders dropped two inches. My breathing synced up with the beat. In that moment, I realized that we don’t just listen to music: we live it.
At Next Level Us, we talk a lot about leadership, culture, and high performance. But lately, I’ve been thinking about it through a different lens: the lens of a soundtrack. Leadership isn’t a single, monotonous note played over and over again. It’s a symphony. It’s a collection of different rhythms, some fast, some slow, some gritty, and some heartbreakingly beautiful.
If you want to lead a remarkable life, you have to learn how to play the whole score.
Today, I’m pulling together the eight lessons we explored earlier, woven into a single philosophy for growth. This is your “Next Level Soundtrack.”
1. The Rhythm of the Moment: Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”
We’ve all had those “Mom’s spaghetti” moments. Whether it’s a keynote, a difficult conversation with a teammate, or a pivot in your business, the pressure can be paralyzing.
What I’ve learned from the gritty intensity of Eminem is that the antidote to pressure isn’t “trying harder”: it’s presence. When you are fully in the moment, there is no room for the fear of the future or the regret of the past. You just are.
Leading at the next level means capturing the energy of the now. It’s about realizing that you only ever have one shot at this specific second. When you stop worrying about the “what if” and start focusing on the “what is,” your performance shifts from forced to fluid.
Focus on the present moment to turn pressure into performance.
2. The Rhythm of Momentum: Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”
There are seasons in your career where everything clicks. The deals are closing, the team is vibing, and you feel like you’re “traveling at the speed of light.” It’s exhilarating. But here’s the trap: we often get scared of our own speed. We start looking over our shoulders, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Freddie Mercury didn’t look over his shoulder. He leaned into the burn.
In corporate training, we see teams reach this peak and then accidentally sabotage it because they don’t know how to handle the heat. Protecting your momentum doesn’t mean being reckless; it means refusing to let outside negativity or internal doubt pull the emergency brake.
Momentum is a gift you protect by staying in your lane and trusting your speed.
3. The Rhythm of the Long Game: The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road”
I used to think success was a straight line. I thought I’d go from Point A to Point B, and the road would be paved and clearly marked.
I was wrong. It’s a winding road, often foggy, and occasionally it leads you right back to a place you thought you’d left behind. Paul McCartney captured that beautifully. Sometimes, the path to the “next level” requires you to take a detour that feels like a setback.
But those curves? That’s where the character is built. If the road was straight, you’d never learn how to drive. Embracing the non-linear path means trusting that the “winding” isn’t a sign that you’re lost: it’s a sign that you’re growing.
Trust the journey, even when the path doesn’t look like a straight line.
4. The Rhythm of Foundation: Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill”
We are so obsessed with the future that we often treat our past like a skin we’re trying to shed. But your history is your scaffolding.
When Ed Sheeran sings about those “country lanes,” he isn’t just being nostalgic. He’s acknowledging the roots that allowed him to grow so tall. Your mistakes, your early jobs, the people who knew you before you were “successful”: that’s the stuff that keeps you grounded when the wind gets high.
Don’t run from where you came from. Use those lessons as the bricks for your next castle. A positive mindset isn’t about ignoring the past; it’s about honoring it as the teacher it was.
Your history isn’t a weight; it’s the foundation of your future.
5. The Rhythm of Pacing: Billy Joel’s “Vienna”
This one hits home for the overachievers. “Slow down, you crazy child.”
We live in a culture that rewards the “hustle” and the “grind,” but let’s be honest: you can’t lead if you’re running on empty. Billy Joel’s reminder that “Vienna waits for you” is a masterclass in strategic pacing.
If you try to win everything today, you won’t have anything left for tomorrow. Leading a remarkable life requires the wisdom to know when to sprint and when to sit at a café and just breathe. Your goals aren’t going anywhere. They’ll be there when you’re rested and ready to actually enjoy them.
True leadership requires the courage to slow down and breathe.
6. The Rhythm of Reflection: The Cure’s “Pictures of You”
There is a difference between living in the past and learning from it. Reflection is a tool; rumination is a trap.
The Cure gives us that dreamy, melancholic space to look at the “pictures” of who we used to be. In business, we call this a “post-mortem” or a “debrief.” It’s essential. If you don’t look at the photos of your previous projects or your old leadership style, you’ll keep making the same mistakes.
The trick is to look, learn, and then put the photo back in the album. Don’t carry it around in your pocket all day. Use it to refine the “you” that is showing up tomorrow.
Reflect on the past to refine your future, not to live in it.
7. The Rhythm of Evolution: Harry Styles’ “As It Was”
“You know it’s not the same as it was.”
Those words can be terrifying or liberating. Growth always involves a level of grief. When you step into a new version of yourself: a bigger role, a new city, a new mindset: you have to leave an older version behind.
I’ve talked to so many leaders who feel guilty about changing. They feel like they’re “losing” themselves. But you’re not losing yourself; you’re evolving. You’re becoming the person the next level requires you to be. It’s okay to acknowledge that things aren’t the same. In fact, it’s necessary.
Growth requires the grace to let go of what no longer serves you.
8. The Rhythm of Sovereignty: Bad Bunny’s “Yo Perreo Sola”
Finally, we have the rhythm of self-sovereignty. Bad Bunny’s anthem about dancing alone is the ultimate leadership lesson.
You cannot lead others effectively if you are afraid to stand on your own. True leadership isn’t about being liked; it’s about being authentic. It’s about having the confidence to follow your own internal compass, even if nobody else is on the dance floor with you yet.
When you stop looking for external validation and start trusting your own rhythm, people will eventually start dancing with you. But you have to be willing to start the party alone.
Your greatest strength comes from your ability to stand: and dance: on your own.
The Symphony of Growth
Here’s the heart of it: your life is a soundtrack, and you are the conductor.
Some days, you need the aggressive drive of Eminem to get through a challenge. Other days, you need the gentle pacing of Billy Joel to keep from burning out. Sometimes you’re the rockstar leaning into momentum like Queen, and other times you’re the reflective wanderer on a Beatles-esque winding road.
Leading a remarkable life isn’t about picking one rhythm and sticking to it. It’s about having the emotional intelligence to know which song the moment requires.
The Soundtrack of Growth Summary:
- Eminem: Presence over pressure.
- Queen: Protecting momentum.
- The Beatles: Trusting the non-linear path.
- Ed Sheeran: The past as scaffolding.
- Billy Joel: Strategic pacing.
- The Cure: Healthy reflection.
- Harry Styles: The grief of growth.
- Bad Bunny: Self-sovereignty.
At Next Level Us LLC, this is exactly what we do. We help leaders and teams find their rhythm, tune their instruments, and play their best work. Whether you’re looking for coaching or looking to transform your workplace culture, we’re here to help you compose your next chapter.
The music is already playing. The only question is: are you ready to dance?
Don’t just play the notes; lead the symphony.
