The author outlines the skills required to dance Argentinian Tango leader. Could Tango dancers teach us about effective leadership?

1. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2016, Simona Zaino
BEING A GOOD LEADER IS LIKE DANCING A TANGO….
Author: Simona Zaino
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www.tangofever.net

2. Being a good leader is like dancing a Tango..
Who does not remember the fabulous scene of Al Pacino (as Colonel
Frank Slade) dancing a sensual and elegant Argentinian Tango with co-
star Gabrielle Anwar (Donna) in Scent of a Woman (1992)?
Little did we know that their simple dance could teach us a lot about
being good leaders..
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3. Being a good leader is like dancing a Tango..
Argentinian Tango has gained huge popularity in the past few years and has become one of
the most practised dance styles in the world. Originally from Buenos Aires, it is said to be the
cultural product of social gatherings among the European immigrants that inhabited the
working-class neighbourhoods of the city during the late 1800s-early 1900s.
It is a couple dance based completely on improvisation, where the leader (traditionally the
man) initiates the movement and the follower (traditionally the woman) executes the steps
based on the lead. To put it simply: the leader shifts his weight as he moves and the follower
‘reads’ this weight shifting and moves in sync with the leader. In its original form, Argentinian
Tango is also a group dance, as several couples usually share the dance floor moving anti-
clockwise in a circle.
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4. Being a good leader is like dancing a Tango..
Leaders and followers have very distinct but complementary roles in Argentinian Tango. The
leader is the initiator, the follower is the creator and they cannot exist without each other.
Far from being a machist dance, where the follower is passive and submitted to the power of
the leader, Argentinian Tango actually shows how a balanced and effective relationship
between leader and follower is not the result of control, but rather collaboration, sinergy and
two-way communication.
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5. Being a good leader is like dancing a Tango..
How this is achieved in Argentinian Tango is truly intriguing and provides some interesting
ideas on how to establish effective leadership.
So let’s take a look at the leader’s role in Tango and the amazing skills that can be acquired
on the dance floor...
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6. Being a good leader is like dancing a Tango..
● The leader clearly communicates to the follower what the next move is going to be.
Failing to do this will result in poor and unclear lead: the follower’s move will not reflect
the leader’s initial intention.
● Flawless lead requires confidence and precision. Lack of confidence from the leader’
s part will undermine the follower’s trust in their dance partner.
● A skilled leader always recognizes and respects each follower’s unique abilities and
style and elevates them.
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7. Being a good leader is like dancing a Tango..
● The leader keeps a broad view of the dance floor. While focusing on the follower and
the space directly in front of him, the leader also uses his peripheral vision to anticipate
possible interferences and ensure the couple’s space is safe.
● As he moves around the dance floor, the leader maintains a clear direction. He does
not always move in a linear way: he may occasionally turn, step to the side or step
back. However, the general direction of the dance is always forward, circling around the
floor. And this direction has to be clearly communicated to the follower.
● The dance couple shares the floor with other dancers. Therefore the leader has to be
able to negotiate the space with other leaders to ensure his own and his dance partner’
s safety.
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8. Being a good leader is like dancing a Tango..
● The leader knows how to react promptly if an obstacle suddenly appears in front of
him. A prompt reaction is not an impulsive and scrambled response but a calm and
collected one, which gives a sense of self-assurance.
● The leader communicates the lead and then listens to make sure the follower has
responded accordingly before moving on. Listening to the follower’s response will help
the leader fine-tune his lead and improve communication. Ignoring the follower’s
response will cause the communication between the dance partners to break and
disrupt the couple’s sinergy. If the communication with the follower breaks, the leader
will ensure the communication is reestablished before moving onto the next step.
● The leader continuously leads until the end of the dance. He has to be present and
accompany his partner in every stage of the dance and until the music is over.
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9. Being a good leader is like dancing a Tango..
So effective Tango leaders never make mistakes? Or do they?... Colonel Frank Slade
answers this question as he whispers to his partner during their dance: ’’..That’s what makes
the tango so great. If you make a mistake and get all tangled up, you just tango on.”
All rights reserved. Copyright© 2016, Simona Zaino
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10. Being a good leader is like dancing a Tango..
The author:
Originally from Italy, Simona has lived outside of her native country for the past few years, mostly in Ireland
but also in the UK, USA and New Zealand.
She is an experienced Argentinian Tango instructor at Compadrito Tango and teaches dance classes for all
levels . She also facilitates Tango-based communication workshops for private and corporate groups. She
holds a degree in Communications and a MSc in E-commerce.
She can be contacted at www.tangofever.net
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