What happens to leadership and collaboration when words take a back seat and a shared rhythm emerges instead?
We’ve already experienced this for ourselves: at a team event with Helge Rosenbaum and teamdrumming, the Valdivia team discovered just how quickly drumming together makes the dynamics within the team visible and tangible.
In conversation with Daniel Bauer from Valdivia, Helge Rosenbaum from teamdrumming describes which behavioural patterns become apparent during group drumming, what managers can learn about control, presence and letting go – and how the experiences from a team event can be applied to everyday working life.
Daniel Bauer:
What is the initial mindset – and what changes within the first few minutes?
Helge Rosenbaum:
Many arrive with a ‘business mindset’: observant, reserved and a little sceptical (‘Let’s see how this goes…’). This often shifts within the first few minutes, because the body reacts faster than the mind: rhythm is immediate. As soon as the first shared beats emerge, you often see shoulders drop, expressions soften and smiles appear. Then ‘I’m judging’ turns into ‘I’m part of this’.
What becomes particularly clear when words fade into the background?
This is when leadership becomes visible in terms of relationships and timing:
Who is really listening? Who gives others space? Who dominates? Who focuses on the bigger picture rather than their own impulses?
Without language, all that remains is presence, clarity and the ability to connect. And it is precisely here that patterns quickly become apparent – patterns that are often well concealed, for example, during meetings.
What role do control and letting go play, and what exactly do leaders learn from this?
Control manifests itself as ‘clinging to the right outcome’: slowing things down, correcting, ‘dragging others along’. Letting go means: maintaining the framework + listening + fine-tuning.
The lessons learnt are usually very concrete:
• Control creates order in the short term, but often also leads to less initiative and less flow.
• Letting go without a framework creates freedom, but also a lack of focus.
The effective middle ground is: providing clear direction whilst still trusting the team to set the pace themselves.
Surprising or underestimated side lessons – what do you observe most frequently?
· Culture of error: Set-backs are not failures, but material for realignment.
· Micro-communication: A glance, a gesture, a breath can lead more effectively than ten sentences.
· Energy management: Those who ‘do’ too much become loud but ineffective.
· Role awareness: Not every leader needs to be at the front all the time. Sometimes the strongest contribution is to stabilise, support and connect.
Typical ‘aha’ moments when leaders gain a new understanding of their impact?
“Whenever I put pressure on them, the teamwork breaks down.”
“If I just pause for a moment and really listen, the team suddenly becomes more precise.”
“I thought I was helping – but I’m actually taking over everything.”
“If I just pause for a moment and really listen, the team suddenly becomes more precise.”
“I’ve confused ‘control’ with ‘security’.”
And many, many more. Many realise that their inner attitude acts as a metronome. It’s not the ‘what’ that shapes the system, but the way one is present.
What does team drumming reveal that often remains hidden in everyday working life?
It reveals, in real time, the interplay, the capacity for resonance and the need for a shared reference point:
· Who is guided by the shared goal?
· How does the team deal with uncertainty?
· Where is a shared rhythm lacking (priorities, decision-making logic, trust)?
In everyday life, this is often masked by words. In the shared musical process, the quality of the interaction becomes audible very quickly.
To what extent is leadership behaviour unconsciously reflected in the shared rhythm?
Very directly: leadership acts as a ‘reference signal’. If a leader becomes flustered, the ensemble often becomes unsettled. If they remain steady, the ensemble becomes more stable. It is like a mirror of one’s own attitude: timing, clarity, but also uncertainty, etc., become visible and audible in the shared rhythm.
What determines whether this still has an effect weeks later?
Three things:
· Identification: What exactly was our pattern – and what was the alternative that worked?
· Translation: 1–2 clear principles in everyday language (e.g. ‘listen first, then steer’ / ‘get on the same page before discussing the details’).
· Repetition: A mini-ritual within the team (2 minutes is enough) to ensure it doesn’t just fizzle out as a ‘nice day’.
How can leaders consciously integrate this?
Small first steps that get you started immediately and effortlessly are often the most important:
Examples:
· Pulse check-in: ‘What’s our pace right now – too fast, too slow, just right?’
· Listening before acting: In meetings, take 30 seconds to ‘gather’ first, rather than rushing to resolve issues straight away.
· Clarify roles: Who’s setting the framework today, who’s providing impetus, who’s stabilising the group?
· Use mistakes: Irritation = a signal; briefly realign rather than carrying on as before.
Your most important advice for leaders: How can team events be used to truly strengthen connection and leadership?
Don’t use team events as a reward or a form of entertainment, but as a training ground for relationships, trust and guidance.
The best attitude is: “I’m not here to shine, but to facilitate teamwork.”
Those who approach it this way not only have fun, but also gain insights into presence, timing, trust and the idea of a shared rhythm that carries the team forward.
Thank you very much indeed for the interview!
(Image source: teamdrumming)
Your contact at Teamdrumming:
Helge Rosenbaum
teamdrumming
Haarhausstraße 1
42115 Wuppertal
Mobile: +49 173 6 95 70 60
Email: info@teamdrumming.com
www.teamdrumming.com
