The Orchestra Conductor and Business Leader … a Meaningful and Valuable Comparison for Today

INTRODUCTION 

Leadership in both business and orchestras involves guiding a diverse group of individuals towards a common goal, fostering collaboration, and achieving harmonious results. While the contexts may seem vastly different, there are striking similarities.

Several years ago, I wrote a blog that compared theses roles. I define a business leader as any person who has the responsibility of leading the organization, department, team or store.  I believe that the similarities between the two responsibilities are very much aligned.  And, I have used the comparison often
when working with management level clients.

Today, with the arrival of “Maestro’ and a story about famed writer and musical conductor Leonard Bernstein, focus has again brought this comparison to the forefront. As such I believe it is worthy of providing food for thought to anyone having leadership responsibilities.

The connection to business leadership was especially fascinating realizing that no verbal exchanges take place when conducting the orchestra and still, the group, or team if you will, have the potential of making the most beautiful music. What that requires is  cooperation, willingness to be part of a team and a sense of responsibility to the individual musician’s role, that of the full orchestra and of the leader.

EMULATING THE CONDUCTOR TO MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC IN BUSINESS

Here are some key elements inherent in both jobs that drive home the awareness of the similarity. 

• A Clear Vision
  Great conductors always start with a musical score and a clear musical vision of how it should sound.
  Similarly, in a business, a clear vision of one’s end goal and the plan to achieve it are keys to success.

• Practice makes perfect … even in business.

  

  The best concerts are well rehearsed no matter how great the conductor is.
  Practicing your leadership rather than assume that you will automatically produce great leadership “music” is a prudent approach.

• Communication as a very significant attribute.
  An orchestra conductor employs non-verbal cues, gestures, and rehearsals to convey musical nuances, timing, and emotions to the musicians.
  A business leader communicates through meetings, emails, and various other channels, ensuring that the organizational objectives are understood and embraced.

• Great conductors get the best out of their people at the right time.
  They ensure their musicians feel significant, accepted and secure. A conductor needs his musicians.
  Likewise, a leader needs his followers and needs to take time to develop his followership.
  
  
• Teamwork is a corner stone of success in both settings.
  An orchestra conductor assembles a group of musicians with varied instruments and expertise ensuring that each member contributes to the overall symphony.
  The business leader builds a team with diverse skills and talents, fostering collaboration to achieve common goals.
  
  
• Adaptability is a critical trait for leaders in both realms.
  The orchestra conductor must adapt to the acoustics of different venues, the dynamics of the musicians and the nuances of various compositions.
  Business leaders must navigate an ever-changing market, responding to economic shifts, technological advancements, and evolving consumer demands.
  
  Leaders in both domains must also exhibit resilience in the face of challenges.
  Orchestra conductors confront challenges such as artistic disagreements, technical difficulties, and

  

  external pressures.
  Business leaders navigate through economic downturns, market fluctuations, and competitive pressures.
  Resilience is crucial in maintaining focus, inspiring confidence, and steering the collective effort towards overcoming obstacles. Resilience is crucial in maintaining focus, inspiring confidence, and steering the collective effort towards overcoming obstacles.

• Great conductors share the spotlight.
  When the concert is over, and the audience is clapping, the conductor turns to the audience and takes a bow. Great conductors immediately turn to their orchestra, inviting them to take the limelight. Without his orchestra, the conductor is nothing.
  Similarly, leadership glory is shared with your team by giving credit back to the team.
  
  
• Great conductors are not super-humans.
  In fact, they delegate everything to others who are better and more skilled. The conductor only appears on stage when it is time for him to lead.
  Great leaders know when to lead and when to let others lead. They delegate accordingly and know when to take the lead.
  
  
• The conductor usually stands on a platform and is visible to all.
  This is to ensure the orchestra stays in alignment.
  In the same way a leader is visible to the employees and teams that works to keep them well aligned.
  
  
• Great conductors lead.
  Most musicians in the orchestra are much more talented than the conductor. They are experts in their musical instruments. They look to their conductor not for technical advice but for leadership.
  Most leaders are NOT functional or technical experts. Most employees look up to them for leadership. They need to inspire, create excitement, have a clear vision and lead.

The business environment of the past few years have presented additional challenges with which we have had only limited experience and it is experience that continues to be forthcoming.  As the conductor is tasked with creating perfect harmony and beautiful music within and among all the variable parts of the orchestra, the leaders in an organization need to continually focus on creating perfect harmony to ensure that beautiful products and profits are the result. 

CONCLUSION

As a leader, you might have a strategy as well-written as a Mozart symphony, but if your orchestra is not well conducted, then noise will prevail over music.  I seriously wonder if it might make good sense for a company’s leadership to attend a concert as inspiration to make the same beautiful music in the organization.  A nice and worthwhile way to spend an afternoon? 
Mike Dorman