An Interview with Christian Lindemann:
Mr. Lindemann, you have made a name for yourself as an international show expert in recent years and regularly perform at Cirque du Soleil. How did you manage to reach the top? The first step of a career ladder always requires skill and performance. And when this is paired with a bit of luck, one is especially grateful for life. This was my experience with Cirque du Soleil, the Olympus of show stages that every artist dreams of. My path there had an additional hurdle to overcome, as I am a speech act and 90% of the acts offered here are acrobatic acts. It all started with the creation of a new show where they were specifically looking worldwide for a pickpocket to best fill this role in the show. They found one of my videos online, and I was invited to the casting, which I failed more than I passed. In the end, what convinced them was my character, my perhaps different, but therefore special way. My thesis "It's not the song, it's the singer," which once again counted, convinced and won. After weeks of training and creating my show part at the headquarters in Montreal, I went on a world tour. You are an expert in quick-wittedness, sovereignty, and courage. Can anyone learn to be more quick-witted and sovereign? Yes, certain parts are definitely trainable. Not everything about courage is learnable, as everyone has their own limit of what they are willing to put in. It is important for everyone to realize that quick-wittedness has less to do with spontaneity and more with preparation that is not visible at the moment of application. If you want to pull a card out of your sleeve, you must have put something in beforehand, and that is where quick-wittedness begins. Invest in preparation rather than in the frustration afterwards if you did not handle the moment quick-wittedly. As a person, I primarily need to have an impact on others, which is composed of certain strengths of character. Character is the basis of all quick-wittedness. That is why I also teach in my training sessions that one should not only focus on what rhetorical quick-wittedness one possesses but also on one's impact and perception as a person. Over the years, where have you been able to identify parallels between the world's stages and the stage of life, whether professionally or privately? People want to know from me the strengths that artists possess - real practical knowledge, instead of the much-offered theoretical knowledge of classical trainers and psychologists today. I provide translation work between the world's stages and the everyday stages of life. There are so many parallels here because not only does the show stage demand courage, sovereignty, quick-wittedness, self-confidence, and dealing with the unpredictable, but isn't that also what our everyday situations demand from us? Do we not have to perform daily? Do we not have to inspire colleagues and teams for ourselves and our products and ideas? Ultimately, it quickly became apparent that my strengths based on techniques could also benefit anyone else in their professional and personal lives. So, I do not train people on how to become show artists tomorrow, but I train the strengths of character that help others to receive standing ovations in their abilities. Which competencies and skills are crucial for you to be successful? I recommend always working on expanding your communication skills. The gap between knowing how something works, wanting it, and then actually acting on it is often insurmountable. Therefore, I demand and promote the important skills of courage and passion. People need to inspire people, communication is central, even in the digital age, communication must remain personal. I stand on stage facing strangers whom I want to inspire and lead. This can only be done with skillful communication, an email won't help, and this applies not only to the show stages. The stages of life are 1:1 - how do I interact with colleagues, employees, and other people in general. Want to learn more? Here is the profile of Christian Lindemann: