What’s Your Theme Song?

In a recent episode of the Coaching for Leaders podcast, General CQ Brown, Jr. was asked by Dave Stachowiak (shout-out for a fantastic podcast!) about the idea of theme songs. That simple question got me thinking—actually, it got me thinking for a while. What would I choose as my theme song?

After much reflection, I settled on Mozart. Not a particular piece—just Mozart.

As I write this, I’m listening to the Larghetto from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27. I have chosen two recordings: one by Menahem Pressler and the other by Mitsuko Uchida. This is one of my favorite ways to approach music—by comparing different interpretations of the same piece. While I’m far from being a musicologist, I find deep joy in listening closely to how different musicians and conductors interpret a piece.
It’s very similar to how I approach coaching.

Coaching is about deep listening, not just to words but to the layers of meaning and emotion beneath them. It’s like listening between the lines in music—where the true magic happens. This resonates with the 8Cs (Calm, Curiosity, Compassion, Courage, Clarity, Confidence, Creativity, Connectedness) and the 5Ps (Patience, Persistence, Perspective, Playfulness, Presence) of Internal Family Systems (IFS).

In fact, this morning I completed an IFS exercise shared by Bill Tierney in his workshop last night, and it reminded me how coaching, reflective practice, and music invite us to be fully present, curious, and deeply connected.

Mozart may not be the fanciest or the most challenging choice for a theme song, but if you listen closely, there is immense joy hidden in its simplicity. Just like in leadership and coaching—sometimes, it’s the subtle, nuanced moments that bring the most profound insights.