Ballet dancers aspire to agility. They are required to have many abilities, among them core strength, ability to change focus quickly, extreme flexibility, range of motion, and knowing where you want to go.
First to be agile requires core strength. this means abdominal and back muscles should be strong enough to support turns, jumps, and extensions they have to perform. Core strength also provides visual treat as they make rapid and extreme movements.
For a manager, they should know what they stand for and provides them with purpose in life and business. Also, they will not be blown away by the next fad. It should not be confused with rigidity. Core strength allows one to avoid rigidity, which results from a perceived threat of being set off balance. If a person knows his core strength he will know his full limits, to what extent he can stretch himself without fear of being thrown off.
Next agility requires knowing where you want to go. Every dancer knows that to dance correctly they should be one step ahead of the music i.e, to predict the immediate next move and to move with deliberation. They are always slightly ahead of the next step. For a manager, they may not have the complete plan but they should have a clear vision of what they want t to achieve. They should also be in a position to anticipate the next move and be prepared for it so that it can be executed seamlessly.
Agility does not mean pushing yourself beyond your physical and mental limits. As a manager, you need to put in lots of hard work and dedication. But at the same time, they should know their limits, both physical and mental, as pushing themselves beyond these limits will make them exhausted and drained out - the opposite of agility. Fostering agility requires that the managers also prioritize sufficient rest and nutrition. A relentless pace is not conducive to agility.
Lessons in Agility from a Dancer Turned Professor
by Jennifer Jordan HBR April 06, 2020
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