Bon Jovi and psychological safety

On Saturday night, the old hair rockers looked like they were still having fun belting out their hits. It was infectious.

Getting 50,000 people up on their feet, singing along and having fun too? That was impressive.

What’s even more impressive is that they’ve been rocking since 1983. That’s a long time for a band. 35 years. Sure it’s not the original lineup. But three of the five have been there since the beginning and Richie Sambora stayed 30 years.

Actually, it’s a long time for any group of people. How long have you been working with your current lineup of colleagues?

Jon’s known for

• his music
• his looks
• his acting
• his long marriage
• his philanthropy
• his business savvy (apparently all but Jon are paid employees)
• his work ethic
• even his rosé is considered the best in the world.

While I was thinking about how lucky was I to score tickets, I also wondered: How else do you get people to stay with you for so long?

It wouldn’t be the money anymore (not with over 130m in record sales, they’ve got more than enough).
It wouldn’t be the success anymore (they’re one of the biggest rock bands in the world, and hall of fame inductees).

We can only guess their reasons. But one thing we’re learning about what gets people to stay, is that the members feel psychologically safe – accepted and respected and that it’s safe to take interpersonal risks.

It’s the antithesis of Bad Medicine. Something I’ll bet Bon Jovi know all too well.