U2 came to U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday, and if you were one of the more than 50,000 people who witnessed the band belt its way through "The Joshua Tree," you saw a little more than a rousing rock 'n' roll show; you saw leadership, one band's power to move the world.
U2 wraps up each show of its current world tour with stunning portraits of the most consequential women in history, or as Bono defiantly says, "herstory." Flashing in 7.6k resolution on the largest high-def screen the world has ever seen are the faces of Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks and Hillary Clinton. These are some of the nearly hundred women to whom Bono pays tribute, calling them "women who stood up or sat down for their rights, who insisted and persisted, who light the way."
This is classic fare for U2, a band that has always brought some church revival to its rock 'n' roll, preaching while playing. AIDS, poverty, political violence — these are the scourges against which U2 rallies its fans. And if you've been to this service, you know how rousing it can be.
When I first saw U2 perform a decade ago, Bono asked us each to work for justice from the "bridges of Selma to the peaks of Kilimanjaro" as every African nation's flag unfurled in the arena and The Edge plucked the first bars of the band's next anthem. At that moment, I enlisted — though I had no idea what I would actually do. I could write a check to Amnesty International. I could embrace the nearest stranger. I felt compelled to do something, anything. I was moved. At that moment, with those people, I believed we could make the world a better place.
U2 isn't only a circus of soft feelings, however. Its members have actually accomplished a great deal of good, raising awareness and money (by some estimates half a billion dollars) for myriad charitable organizations. They've used their celebrity to lobby governments, to direct the world's attention to Africa, ravaged by disease, war and poverty. Bono is the only rock star ever nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, a nomination he received three times. Even President George W. Bush couldn't resist Bono's entreaties. The two worked together to bring record levels of foreign aid to Africa. "Bono floored me," Bush said, "with his knowledge, his energy and his faith." That's Bono: flooring world leaders and mobilizing their people.
So how does Bono do it? What is the magic of this supernatural shaman? What spirit does he wield that possesses populations and politicians, not only helping hearts blossom, but changing the very behavior of communities and governments?
Well, it's inspiration — and no band does it better than U2. In fact, U2 provides lessons in inspiration for all who aspire to move a crowd, from political leaders and corporate executives to teachers and coaches and parents. How do they do it? How does U2 move masses? In addition to the raw power of some irresistible tunes, U2 employs three "notes of inspiration" that sway audiences:
• First, U2 sets grand ambitions. Its members didn't want to be a rock band. They wanted to be the greatest rock band in the world, and when they achieved that status, they wanted to be something even bigger: to be an instrument for social justice. They want to end the transmission of HIV from mothers to babies. They want to eliminate malaria. They want to eradicate racism and stamp out gender inequality. These are not modest goals; in fact, they're slightly preposterous. But perhaps it's the very audacity of these ambitions that inspires conviction. It's hard to generate an emotional response when talking to the sensible parts of a person. Al Gore had a plan to reduce carbon emissions. He lost. Barack Obama promised to lower the very tides of the oceans. He won. People are moved to do big things, and so as leaders, don't fear the grand and the audacious and the slightly ridiculous. These are the goals that stretch our imaginations.