They were dancing in the street New Orleans style at a jazz – blues moment in Natchitoches, Louisiana. These future leaders of America show synchronicity can make a difference.

It was a warm night in Natchitoches, Louisiana. People gathered along the main street of town, listening to blues bands and generally chatting the night away as they did. Suddenly they appeared, a cluster of young people, dashed down the sidewalk and into the street with the kind of joy in living that brought crowd attention. A conference at Northwestern University of young student leaders brought a bunch to the small town in the South where they gathered to talk about leadership principles. What were these principles?

 Well, I asked; and they responded. “Being fair. Listening. Knowing there is more than one side to a debate. Recognizing the value of the other guy.” Then they danced, and it was their dancing that made a difference. Synchronicity is required for line dancing. Some songs have an established dance pattern people know, but in this case folks in the crowd joined in spontaneously and picked up the steps. Furthermore, many didn’t know any pattern. Each person observed the other, listened to the music; and the dance went on. I asked them how they did it, and they said, “just watch.” I did, and I learned. Synchronicity makes a difference. The young people gave lessons on leadership just by doing what they enjoyed, dancing in the street.

 I watched the dance and the glow of the moment. I saw young leaders making a difference, not in government, not in some way to hit the major news. Instead they made a difference in their dance by telling everyone around what it means to take steps together and have fun doing it.