I had heard a recording by the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, seen a documentary about them, and heard about a classic Harvard Business School case study that focused on their leadership style. But, I heard them live last week and I was not prepared for what I heard.  

They played Mendelssohn’s 4th Symphony (the Italian). It is a piece that I don’t mind having on while I am doing something else. I have always thought that it was an OK piece, but not in the “drop what you’re doing and listen” category.

. . . or any other big meeting for that matter?

I've attended a lot of dreadful big meetings. Sometimes they're called all-hands meetings, town halls, or something else. These big meetings usually involve almost everyone in the organization.

When Satya Nadella took over as CEO at Microsoft, he sent a letter to every employee. It closed with the following:

Finally, I truly believe that each of us must find meaning in our work. The best work happens when you know that it’s not just work, but something that will improve other people’s lives. – Satya Nadella

Sometimes, at work, it is hard to begin a conversation with someone we don’t know all that well. I like what the late Anthony Bourdain had to say in an NPR interview last year: