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08.25.09

Leading Views: Manager as Orchestra Conductor

Leading ViewsIn Managerial Behavior: Administration in Complex Organizations, Leonard Sayles creates a more realistic picture of the manager/leader as orchestra conductor:

"The manager is like a symphony orchestra conductor, endeavoring to maintain a melodious performance in which the contributions of the various instruments are coordinated and sequenced, patterned and paced, while the orchestra members are having various personal difficulties, stage hands are moving music stands, alternating excessive heat and cold are creating audience and instrumental problems, and the sponsor of the concert is insisting on irrational changes in the program."

Posted by Michael McKinney at 09:47 AM
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Comments

A great analogy, yet too much known and used!

There is a powerful experience called "The Music Paradigm". The conductor, Roger Nierenberg, takes the musicians (who are seated within the audience) through a series of experiments. Each time I have been a part of it, the experience and the learnings are different. Leaders and team members alike come to understand a little more clearly the difficult and unique role each plays in creating and executing on the vision of future success of the organization.

Great metaphor I think.
I have a background in psychosynthesis and there the conductor was used a strong analogy in our inner leadership.
But it seems to work just as well for leadership more of the outward kind.

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