Saturday night, Gail and I went to the Nashville Symphony with our daughter, Mary, and her husband, Chris. Mary had bought tickets for Gail’s birthday. It was a magnificent evening.
The orchestra was conducted by the renowned Hugh Wolff. He and the orchestra performed Beethovan’s Concerto No. 4 in G major for Piano and Orchestra. Horacio Guitiérrez played the piano. After the intermission, the orchestra performed Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Op. 45.
We are privileged to have seats on the second row. I was less than 20 feet from Hugh Wolff. I was fascinated just watching him lead the orchestra. Toward the end of the evening, it occurred to me that conducting and leading have a lot in common:
- The conductor starts with a great score. Conductors have a plan. They start with a musical score and a clear idea of how it should sound. Only then do they attempt to recreate in real time their musical “vision.”
- The conductor recruits the very best players. Great conductors attract great players. Mediocre conductors attract mediocre players. The very best players want to work for the very best conductors. Like attracts like.
- The conductor is visible, so that everyone can see him. The conductor stands on a platform, so that every single member of the orchestra can see him. This is the only way the orchestra can stay in alignment, with each player starting and stopping at the appropriate time.
- The conductor leads with his heart. Great conductors are swept up in the music. They are passionate. They don’t just play with their head; they also play with their heart. You can read it on their face. You can sense it in their movement. They are fully present and “playing full out.”
- The conductor delegates and focuses on what only he can do. The conductor doesn’t do everything. He doesn’t sell the tickets. He doesn’t participate (usually) in the preliminaries. He doesn’t even make sure that the orchestra is in tune. He stays off stage until it is time for him to do what only he can do—lead.
- The conductor is aware of his gestures and their impact. A conductor can’t afford to make an unintentional gesture. Everything means something. The flick of the wrist, the raising of an eyebrow, and the closing of the eyes all have meaning. A good conductor can’t afford to be careless with his public demeanor.
- The conductor keeps his back to the audience. Conductors are aware of the audience but their focus is on the the players and their performance. The only time the conductor stops to acknowledge the audience is before the playing begins and after it is finished. Other than that, he is focused on delivering an outstanding performance.
- The conductor shares the spotlight. When the concert is over, and the audience is clapping, the conductor turns to the audience and takes a bow. A good conductor immediately turns to the orchestra and invites them to stand and bow as well. He shares the glory with his colleagues, realizing that without them, the music would not be possible.
Building Champions has been coaching me since 2002. They have taught me to be more proactive and intentional in both my business and personal life. Visit their Web site to learn more and see their special offer for my blog readers.
Related posts:
In: 
Tags: 
Michael, what a fantastic post. I used to play in an orchestra when I was young and as a player we were driven to practice and improve for hours at a time many weeks before a performance until we began to get the result that the conductor was looking for. As musicians we all had individual skill in our instruments but we still needed to practice together to improve upon the particular piece at hand. The conductor worked tirelessly with us, instructing us to achieve that vision.
Another analogy for business?
I think so!
Mike, What a great picture and so different from most leaders we encounter! I have loved the links between a good symphony and community of Christ but your example of the conductor as good leader is really good. It reminds me of how we are called to live within tension between the glory God made us and his image. We need to put the emphasis on those on talents around us but also aknowledge the gifts and calling God has given each of us. A good conductor shows that balance in humility. Have you seen Rob Bell's Rhythm? http://store.flannel.org/011.html
Thanks for sharing it this morning.
I haven't seen it, but I will check it out. Thanks!
Loved the post. I struck me while reading that both orchestra and conductor are important. The orchestra makes the music but the conductor helps make the music art.
Good point. It's just like leadership. If you claim to be a leader but don't have followers, you're kidding yourself.
Robert, In all of my words you summed it up in "The orchestra makes the music but the conductor helps make the music art." Exactly!
Excellent post, and outstanding metaphor. As I read through the concepts of "symphonic leadership," though, I thought each one needed much more explanation and exploration. If there is ever a Michael Hyatt book on leadership, which I hope there is, I think you've got the start of a great book here.
This is probably stretching the metaphor, but it's early. You covered all the big stuff except for…the baton. What is the metaphorical equivalent of the baton for the symphonic leader? I'll "stick" my neck out here and suggest that the baton of symphonic leadership is where the leader's creative energy is focused to communicate his or her vision and passion. For instance, this blog is a baton for your leadership. It is where those you are leading can look to receive the energy and focus of your direction. A baton is not just one thing, but several, but you get the idea.
I'll be looking for the book!
I like that metaphor a lot. Excellent.
Clay I agree. Symphonic Leadership: Conducting a masterpiece in a leaderless society. by Michael Hyatt
I love that title. It REALLY makes me want to write the book!
Go for it, Michael! It could be a great small format, high concept business leadership book. And you could have a lot of fun with a book video/DVD. Can't wait!
Mike, great post, super insight. It made me think of the difference between a symphonic conductor and a rock band. There is leadership in both, but when I played with my college symphony years ago the leadership was what you described and much different than when I played with my rock band on weekends. The band was much less structured, more egalitarian, yet still successful and made good music. Is there something to be said for that smaller structure and less formal leadership? A lesson from the rock band for leaders of small companies like mine? Might be something else to address in the book…
My wife and I went to the symphony in Sydney and I, too, was struck by the power of the conductor. Here's what I wrote that night when we got back to the hotel:
"What the conductor had accomplished was not only some simultaneous reading of music but rather an organized reminder that we all are made in the image of God and that a man can take what is in his mind and scratch it out on paper, and other human beings can fashion instruments and still others sacrifice their lives to learn to bring pleasing sounds from these instruments and all these things can come together to provide the faintest echo of the words "Let there be" spoken many millenia ago and for these two hours we remembered that we need not be captives to our base selves, because deeper still stirs an innate desire to be like the One who made us and this is not only possible but so near that we feel we can reach out and take hold of it as simply as reaching out and plucking ripe stars from the tree of night."
And also:
"And then we took the train back to our hotel, happy and tired and occasionally catching the eye of someone else in a collared shirt or an evening gown and between us passed the mutual understanding that there is a God and He is not far from each one of us, and we must serve Him, we must make this place one that is fitting for Him and that when He comes to reign again we will make an orchestra of previously unknown proportions and there shall be a symphony unlike any other in all of history, and just as His glory fills the whole earth like air, like daylight, so our praise will rise and seek to attain the fullness of His presence. "
This brings back memories of watching my husband “conduct” the score for hours at the dining room table. He marked the score to learn the entrances and exits and then practiced every physical, nonverbal cue.
Conducting is more than learning how to sing, or play on beat together. The musicians trust the conductor to cast a musical vision, then lead them.
Conductors realize their dreams and the dreams of other musicians to produce music by connecting people and skills by actively cooperating as a group to enhance their lives, the music, and the lives of others.
The conductor works with the board and the musicians to create the sound that the audience will hear.
A conductor finishes what he starts. Conducting is real-time leadership in his professional and private life. If the conductor steps away from the podium, quits in the middle of a performance or has a moral lapse, it affects each person in the orchestra and the audience’s musical experience.
The conductor cannot do the oboe or trumpet player’s job, but he leads each musician who is an expert on his instrument and takes individual responsibility to practice and know his music.
The conductor carries the responsibility to lead the orchestra with one vision. If each musician performed his own musical vision, the result would be confusion and disorder.
The conductor uses his creative imagination to “hear the inner music” and then verbally communicates verbally vision to the players. But the real test of his leadership comes when he conducts. Every nonverbal physical prompt, large, small, delicate, plus eye contact to different sections of the orchestra communicates the vision, the pacing, the volume, predicting the success of the performance.
The clarity and timing of the conductor’s gestures lead each player and his instrument, improving the performance.
The conductor is dedicated to bringing the best out of the music, the instruments, and each player’s expertise and creativity.
The conductor develops his conducting technique so that all the players understand every expression and gesture.
The conductor and the orchestra rehearse beforehand. They work out rough spots in the final dress rehearsal, so they present a united rhythmic and musical front to the public.
The conductor puts the most skilled players in the first chairs.
The conductor continues his personal growth and development, while at the same time encouraging players to progress in their musical and performance skills.
The conductor is part leader, part educator, part mentor, part artist.
Some conductors “manage” their players. The maestro “makes music” with their orchestra, creating thrilling moments for the audience.
Some conductors use their players to create a musical “product.” Others express the magic of the music, bringing out the players creativity and skills in a way that touches people’s hearts.
The conductor times the length of the performance to exceed the audiences’ expectations, but short enough to leave them wanting more.
These are great observations! Thanks.
As I read your post, I immediately began thinking of my small sphere of leadership and applying it.
Then I thought about the book we think you should write and wondered if the conductor is just one chapter, one aspect of leadership.
I coach a highschool girls basketbatll team. The leadership there might shed a slightly different light on leadership.
Another chapter for your book?
Thanks for post that always make us think!
Mike: I thought this was a magnificent post. The metaphor is powerful and enlightening. I do have one thought: In my experience great leaders are not (only) inward facing – they also seek the customer and the future.
To further the metaphor, let me quote myself:
"Good musicians don’t need to hold up their music to prove they’re singing [or playing] correctly; their performance is proof enough. And Christians don’t need an assortment of all-occasion Bible verses to prove we are right; our lives should be proof enough.
"When believers are united in the love of Christ, the strength of the church will be unmistakable to the world." ABOVE ALL, LOVE (208)
Excellent quote. I think the performance is proof enough, too.
Great post Mr. Hyatt. I love it when writers/bloggers take an everyday subject of life and apply it in a completely different setting. I think using illustrations like this really challenges readers to consider their views in a new light. Looking at something from new angles is always educational.
I love this post. I was a first violinist in my younger days. The orchestra taught me many, many things about life. And when I was about 6 or 7 I told everyone I met I was going to be a conductor. What a blessing to live where you do and be able to write about it! Thanks for a great post and blog!
People, no matter how well rehearsed, still make mistakes. A missed cue, a forgotten repeat, a long rest miscounted–all potential disasters. Orchestra members need a leader they can trust to recognize the problem immediately, identify the errant instruments, assess the best solution, and assert leadership to recreate harmony.
I don't want to sound sycophantic here, but, WOW!!!! This is the best thing I've read on your blog, ever. #5 we've known about since Jethro had that heart to heart with Moses. It is critcal, but we've heard it before, and we grow dull to it. But you drove it home in a fresh way. #7 is something I never ever thought of and am pretty sure I've never heard from anyone else before. Dito for #6. I'm already trying to think of ways to apply it. Great stuff.
Great Post! You might enjoy "The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. They talk about the application of many lessons from the world of arts to the world of business.
People dream of being the world-famous maestro, the lauded figure-head of the orchestra.
What great conductors know is that no matter how great the musicians, they cannot make great music together without the right conductor to bring them together in perfect harmony.
Great leaders know this too, no matter how awesome your staff are, they only will only work well together if they have an equally great leader.
A great leader is like a great conductor. He doesn't need to show his (or her) face and doesn't steal the limelight from those he is leading. He is content to orchestrate a perfect performance and revel in the success beside the performers.
As a member of the Dallas Symphony Chorus for some 14 years, I've had many opportunities to work with a variety of great conductors. During last night's rehearsal with the orchestra, I thought of a few additions to your list I've observed from "the other side of the podium."
1.Most of the hard work is done 'behind the scenes' when no audience is present. This allows for mistakes to be made, alternate interpretations to be explored, and fine tuning to take place before going public with the final product. It also solidifies the conductor's vision in the minds of the orchestra and how each member contributes to that vision.
2.The conductor has to pay attention to everyone at the same time—and be able to pick out, even when everyone is playing at once, that the trumpets are too slow or the basses need better intonation.
(continued)
3.Good conductors don't rely solely on their own perceptions. At rehearsals, the associate conductor, chorus director, and/or other trusted professional is out in the hall listening for balance, tone, and other things the conductor misses because he/she is too close to the action.
4.Good conductors give immediate feedback. Both positive and negative comments are couched in a way that inspires participants to continually do their best.
If you think watching a conductor is fascinating from the audience, you should definitely watch a concert from my perspective!
These are great additions.
A great, irresistible post, Michael, for this new blogger (thanks to the encouragement of Randy Elrod). Your insights took me back to my own days in an orchestra and reminded me to revisit Max DePree's great little book LEADERSHIP JAZZ. Point 2 about recruiting the best players also reminded me of the concluding chapter of Malcolm Gladwell's BLINK. As you probably recall, Gladwell talks there about how the very best players may, in fact, miss the cut in auditions unless and until they are auditioned blind by placing them behind a screen and then evaluated based on the purity of their musical performance. It turns out the very best may not look the part as well as the second or third best. It merits some consideration that the greatest leaders sometimes recruit unlikely looking characters to their team because they have somehow intersected with them around an idea rather than a more traditional interview. The truly great leaders are often courageous enough to have a different order of priority to the appropriate selection factors than the mediocre leaders will ever consider. Nothing is more important to the greatest leaders than having someone with the ability "to play full out" when their conducting calls for it. The experience of passion connecting to passion, heart to heart in music and leadership is transformative for conductor/leader, musician/team member and audience/client alike. But it requires courage from all involved just to be in the moment "full out", much less the months or years success may require.
Congratulations! This post was selected as one of the five best independent business blog posts of the week in my Three Star Leadership Midweek Review of the Business Blogs.
http://blog.threestarleadership.com/2009/05/20/52...
Wally Bock
Wow! Thanks.
Very powerful analogy, Mike! I guess there are a couple more leadership lessons one can learn from a conductor.
Coductor is the one, who will be correcting mistakes and finding a way out if ballet or opera performers fail to keep the rythm or miss the beginning of the actions.
Conductor is usually the last to get to the stage for applause if ever…and usually gives credit to his players first
These are excellent additions.
A great metaphor with important reminders for leaders – thanks again
Amen to Mr. Hyatt's article and many of the comments on it—especially those of SusanE.
When John Williams resigned as conductor of the Boston Pops, there was a televised tribute in which Richard Dreyfuss attempted to conduct the orchestra playing one of the cues from "Jaws." The orchestra sounded lousy. Then Maestro Williams took the baton and everything fell into place. This little stunt—obviously scripted—was endearing, but it suggested that great conductors are great because of what they do in front of an audience.
Yes, competent and passionate leading during performances is a big part of conducting, but as SusanE points out, most of the work is done during rehearsals. It's a tedious process that often requires a lot of repetition until the orchestra arrives at the conductor's musical vision, or as close to it as possible (and it goes without saying that they can't even begin to realize that vision until the mechanics—correct notes, rhythm, etc.—are intact). It is this tireless attention to detail during rehearsals that makes great conductors great.
thanks Michael for this well thought through post
however, I have to wonder if the world of jazz is more illustrative of leadership than orchestral music? it certainly resonates that way for me, and I have written accordingly on my blog
seems using openid doesn't provide a link to my blog!
http://www.gavinknight.com/blog