Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a massive Bruce Springsteen (Bad Scooter) fan and if there is any opportunity to bring him into a conversation, I’ll take it. The thing is that for me, there is so much to revere. Not only is he a brilliant performer, an epic storyteller and guitar legend. He is also deeply complex, humble and imperfect and at the same time, appears comfortable in his own skin. Or at least at 71, he is getting there. He has never been afraid to tackle the difficult topics and in his recent podcast ‘Renegades: Born in the USA’ we hear him in conversation about income inequality, socio-economic class, fatherhood, race and racism and what belonging means. The truth is that Springsteen, for me, is the epitome of an inclusive leader. Here is a man who has taken time to get to know himself, what he stands for, what he believes in and get comfortable with it. Not shy to talk about his struggles with mental health, he has tried to normalise how depression can impact. His relationship with the Big Man, Clarence Clemons, opened the door to discussions and understanding around race and racism. A story of a racially integrated band that happened naturally and both purposefully, in equal measure. Springsteen taking the opportunity to help him be seen, in some ways providing sponsorship. In his podcast, he recalls, “There was a moment when I say, ‘Hey C, you know, tomorrow night when I go to the front of the stage and I play this, come on up with me and play it next to me.’ And we took those steps the next night.”
Springsteen believes in a more equal world and recognised the challenges Clemons faced, often being the only Black person in the room. He made it happen, he made Clemons an equal partner on that stage. What I like about this admission, is that conscious inclusion is at its core . They decided together to make a statement, to take a stand. Scooter and the Big Man, side by side, night after night – it said something. And even after his passing, Clemons is still remembered, still a massive presence on that stage. And for those of you who have been lucky enough to attend an epic performance, you know the magic. The thing about a Springsteen concert is that everyone must show up. The band will bring their best, but the magic only happens when the crowd get involved. The engagement and the dialogue, the audience participation, the endless poster song requests. A Springsteen concert is a like a massive lesson in inclusion and involvement. Like I mentioned, I am a big fan.
But fan or not, there is still an important lesson in terms of how we can navigate the world we are in. It’s a messy one and we are never all going to agree with one another. In fact, often it’s when we dare to disagree, that we learn the most from and about one another. Inclusion for me is daring to disagree and then agreeing to listen. To consider ourselves in someone else’s shoes and if we don’t like how it feels, taking action to do something about it.
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