What Steve Vai Taught Me About Agile, Leadership, and Life

Since my teens, I’ve been a Steve Vai fan. And when I say fan, I mean a literal member of the Vai fan club. Here’s how he looked like in the early 90s on the cover of Guitar World.

Here are his major career milestones and accomplishments:

• Student of Joe Satriani.
• Played for Frank Zappa, Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake.
• Founded the G3 Tour.
• Breakthrough solo album: Passion and Warfare (1990); widely hailed as one of the greatest instrumental rock albums.
• Appeared in the cult film Crossroads (1986).
• Guitar models (JEM, 7-string).
• Playing innovations (circular vibrato, joint shifting, hydra bends).
• Multiple Grammy Awards and nominations.
• Continues to record, tour, and mentor younger guitarists.
• Widely regarded as the living GOAT of rock guitar.

Fast forward to 2023, Munich Airport business lounge. I spot him.
Steve Vai. I could not believe my luck. The odds of meeting my lifelong idol, face-to-face, unguarded by crowds or security… astronomical. A total serendipity moment.

My brain went into overdrive: “Should I talk to him? Is that rude here? What should I ask? Recording with David Lee Roth? Joining Whitesnake? Upcoming gear? What if he doesn’t want to talk? What if he’s… a jerk?”

Each “what if” shrank me further into doubt. One thing I did decide: no selfie, that would be cheap. For nearly an hour, I battled with self-doubt. As he was getting ready to leave, I stood up, walked over, and said:

“Hey Steve, may I have a moment? I’ve been a fan since Passion and Warfare.”

He smiled. We chatted briefly, about Finland, about travel fatigue, about aching knees, the kind of mundane, human small talk you’d have with anyone. He was kind, present, and humble. Then he shook my hand and, almost symbolically, gave me a plectrum. And just like that, he was gone.

I didn’t ask the questions I had carried for decades. But it didn’t matter. The moment itself was the lesson. He made me feel completely equal, human to human. It’s the same spirit that makes teams thrive: mutual respect, no egos, no hierarchy, no bosses, no heroes, no kings. The best leaders I’ve known have that Vai-like quality. They made me feel like I was standing on stage with them, as “one band”.

Then, lasts night, the universe gave me an encore via Pete Thorn. He’s a real specimen, a true guitar tech & tone expert. His melodic ear is uncanny as his song Remember proves. He just wrapped up a tour on Vai’s band. No wonder Steve gave him the change as the “2nd violin”.

Pete has a devoted online following, including myself. Last night, Pete took my question during a live stream: “How did touring with Steve Vai change you?” Pete gave a lenghty answer. He had been nervous before the tour’s first concert, doubting if he’d even remember all guitar parts. Steve had said comforted him: “It ain’t gonna happen… but other stuff will.” His point? Don’t give in to fear and doubt.

“Don’t give air to doubt. Expect surprises.”

And that’s… well, almost textbook Agile. Agile doesn’t dwell on fear or overplan for every risk. It moves forward, adapts, and deals with challenges when they appears; directly and hands-on.

In the end, meeting Steve Vai didn’t give me guitar secrets or celebrity gossip. It gave me something better, a reminder that mastery is grounded. Humility might be highest form of confidence. And maybe that’s the real Agile lesson too. So, here’s keeping the plan loose, the ego quiet, and the rhythms strong. 🎸