Bruce Springsteen turns 76 years old today.
The New Jersey native seems to be far from hanging up his famed Fender Esquire guitar. Even after the sale of his entire music catalog to Sony Music Group in December 2021 for a reported $500 million, 20 Grammy Awards, an Oscar, and a Tony, Springsteen continues to evolve.
Since he reached the three quarters of a century mark a year ago, the music icon has performed 16 marathon concerts across 10 European cities. He has also released a collection of seven never-before-heard albums and closely advised on his biographical film Deliver Me From Nowhere, set to open on October 24th. And this shortlist does not take into account Springsteen’s busy private life, including his Thrill Hill Foundation, support of local public and private initiatives like Community FoodBank of New Jersey, and children and grandchildren with his wife Patti Scialfa.
The lessons that a budding musician can take from Springsteen’s career are endless, ranging from a technical and creative standpoint of writing music and lyrics to a more general dedication to the craft. But his more recent activities are an excellent guide for anyone beyond the musical world, specifically business leaders.
Here are three of his heart-stopping, house-rocking, legendary leadership philosophies.
Carve Out Time To Reflect
In September 2016, days after Springsteen turned 67, his autobiography Born To Run hit the bookshelves. It is inspiring and honest from the start, as Bruce talks about the “grinding hypnotic power” of his first home. “I visit in my dreams today,” he says, “returning over and over…I felt an ultimate security and a horrible unforgettable, boundary-less love. It ruined me and it made me.”
People clearly took a liking to his reflective writing, with the Born To Run memoir reaching the top of the New York Times Best Seller list immediately after release. Springsteen then continued this thoughtful theme with a 271 show run on Broadway, weaving compelling prose from the book with acoustic versions of many of his most famous songs.
Sharing personal anecdotes is not unfamiliar for rock stars, but Springsteen’s general musings are more akin to a philosopher than a guitarist. His recent stadium shows have echoed this sentiment, incorporating political philosophy into song introductions that even caught the attention of President Donald Trump.
Execs should look to Springsteen for inspiration. Effective leadership means reflective leadership. When the people in charge appear to be reactive, or have only a short-term focus, it limits their team. Instead, be reflective and analyze your actions.
Get Involved In The Nitty-Gritty
Many leaders tend to focus on the big picture and assign the smaller, more hands-on tasks to others. This may allow you to diversify your time, but at this distance projects also become more defined by others.
Call it laissez-faire leadership, which is reportedly how Bob Dylan approached the 2024 film A Complete Unknown. While he gave his blessing for the film and allowed full access to his music and personal story, he was said to have little to no actual creative involvement. This meant that neither the success or failure of the film can be credited to Dylan.
Conversely, a leader who stays consistently present will build up a rapport with staff and have a greater sense of accomplishment when the task is completed. Springsteen is a clear example here. While he approved the film Deliver Me From Nowhere, expressly about the making of his sixth studio album Nebraska, and did not request any changes, he was a constant presence on set and texted with cast members about particularly memorable performances. Should the film succeed, Springsteen will be a big reason why.
Learn More Than Your Business
As an immensely successful musician, Bruce Springsteen has no need to expand his breadth of knowledge. This has not stopped him from learning about areas far beyond show-business, including philosophy, a longtime pursuit. “The book that turned me on to philosophy was Bertrand Russell’s The History of Western Philosophy,” he told the New York Times in 2014. “I just finished Examined Lives, by Jim Miller, and How to Live; Or, A Life of Montaigne, by Sarah Bakewell.”
This curiosity has likely led him to reflect more deeply about his own life, and more broadly, the state of the nation and the world. Leaders would do well to follow Springsteen into the world of philosophy for similar guidance.