What Taylor Swift Can Teach Leaders About Strength and Empathy

Hi Leaders,

Taylor Swift recently released her newest album earlier this month, The Life of a Showgirl.

What fascinates me isn’t just her music. It’s her impact.

One of my team members even admitted she stayed up until midnight just to hit play the second it dropped. Then she spent the next night in the movie theatre watching a movie about it. That’s not just enthusiasm…that’s devotion.

But here’s what makes me pay attention to Taylor as more than just an artist: When she re-recorded her old albums…songs her fans had already bought, streamed, memorized…they still showed up in the millions.

They streamed again.
They purchased again.
They celebrated again.

Think about that. She didn’t just get people to listen. She got people to rally.

And that’s the real leadership lesson I want to dive into today. Because every one of us is trying to do the same thing with our teams: inspire not just compliance, but commitment.

Not just effort, but energy.

So let’s break down what leaders can learn from artists like Taylor about building that kind of loyalty, the neuroscience behind why people rally, and a practical framework you can use to turn alignment into real commitment.