Doug Manuel – building rhythm, breaking down silos and working as one team

Doug Manuel on collaboration, teamwork, leadership and performance. Embody learning: building rhythm, breaking down silos and working as one team.

It wasn’t long ago that Doug Manuel stood in front of a room full of executives from a global financial organisation. They were bright, efficient and expecting the usual keynote: some leadership principles, a few slides and maybe a motivational quote about teamwork to round things off. The kind of talk that certainly feels useful in the moment, but quickly fades and is forgotten when the demands of daily work take over.

But that wasn’t the case.

It started as expected – with concepts on leadership, team dynamics and strategies for managing change that stimulated the mind. The audience nodded in agreement, took notes and mentally ticked off another insightful session. But then he did something unexpected.

Doug pulled out a djembe and a looping pedal.

If you’ve never seen the face of a managing director confronted with a drum in the middle of a beat, then you’ve been missing out! It was a mixture of polite curiosity and slight panic. What are we supposed to do with this?

Doug Manuel demonstrated how to build a rhythm – one beat at a time, each layer adding complexity and depth. As he looped the sounds, the group began to realise the metaphor: Just like rhythm, effective teamwork is built incrementally, with each contribution adding to the whole. It wasn’t just about making noise – it was about breaking down silos and learning how to work as a team.

Then it was the participants’ turn. And instead of handing out drums (which he can do if the client wants him to), Doug introduced body percussion – clapping, tapping and snapping to the beat. At first there was hesitation. But as the rhythms developed, something changed. They weren’t just learning about collaboration – they were experiencing it live.

Throughout the session, Doug also guided couple conversations to build trust. These were not superficial chats about weekend plans. They were structured, meaningful conversations in which participants reflected on their life experiences to make deeper connections. Because true collaboration isn’t just about working together, it’s about understanding and trusting each other.

That is embodied learning. It’s about moving from passive understanding to active participation and making sure the lessons don’t just sink in – they stick.

The 3-step process: From self-knowledge to collective rhythm. Each of his keynotes follows a three-step process that takes participants from individual realisation to collective synergy:

• Self-awareness – It starts with the mind and establishes a cognitive framework. But leadership is not just an intellectual exercise. It’s about how you perform physically and emotionally. This is where he introduces personal leadership – because before you can lead a team, you have to lead yourself.

• Awareness of each other – Once the participants are in touch with themselves, the focus shifts to the group. Through body percussion and facilitated pair conversations, participants begin to build trust and take on their roles in the team themselves. This is not just about taking the initiative, but also about acting rather than reacting and understanding how their own contributions support the whole.

• Collective synergy – In the final stage, the room is no longer just a collection of individuals, but they act as a cohesive unit. Here we tap into the soul of the team and create an experience of true connection and common purpose.

The BEATS As One Framework: Leadership you can feel

At the centre of this process is his BEATS As One framework – Breath, Energy, Agency, Trust, Soul.

• Energy: It’s about maintaining a high level of energy and top performance. After all, nobody wants to follow a manager who is at the end of their tether.

• Ability to act: This is where personal leadership shines. It’s about knowing when to take action yourself and when to support others.

• Trust: The glue that holds everything together. Trust is created through rhythm and dialogue and transforms a group of colleagues into a team that enjoys working together.

• Soul: The heartbeat of collaboration. It transforms a group into a team that connects purpose to performance.

Why embodied learning works.

In today’s fast-paced corporate world, information is everywhere, but real learning? That’s rare. Embodied learning bridges the gap between understanding concepts and experiencing them. It’s not just about what you know – it’s about how you feel it and how you bring it into your team.

That day with the finance managers?

They came in expecting another standard keynote. By the time they left, they had experienced what real collaboration felt like. Weeks later, their CEO Doug Manuel told them that the team dynamic had changed, silos were breaking down and – best of all – employees were actually enjoying their work.

Beats as One: Because when learning is lived, it doesn’t just inform – it changes. Book Doug Manuel for talks and live performances with The Premium Speakers Bureau.