The Glue That Holds It All Together
As I sat in the audience of the symphony concert, I couldn’t help but notice how important the conductor’s role was. The conductor directs the symphony, and is thus the central person responsible to lead the musicians. The players watch the conductor’s every move as they wait for direction. Clearly, the conductor is there to make sure everyone is playing their part in time and in tune. Every great symphony has a great conductor. In fact––the better the conductor, the better the symphony. The opposite is also true: the worse the conductor, the worse the symphony.
Even the best of players, playing the right pieces, can fall apart if the conductor is not the right fit. The conductor is the glue that holds the whole team together. Everyone needs someone to look up to and help guide them along their journey of success. Teams need coaches. A crew needs a captain. Soldiers need a commander. A child needs a parent or guardian. Symphonies need a conductor. Your employees or volunteers need a point person.
Far too many leaders fail to operate like a conductor. In fact, many leaders do the opposite of a conductor. They spend all of their time doing everyone else’s job. They are caught in the doing and it keeps them from leading. This causes them to come down from their primary responsibility of directing the whole team. A leader must stay in their designated role as the conductor so they can give direction and oversight to the overall score of the team. The conductor I had the privilege of watching never came down from his platform to play the instruments for the players. After all, that would’ve weakened his ability to lead the whole team. What if the conductor spent his time doing all of the playing for the musicians? It would never let the players get better and learn their parts. A leader is responsible to their people, not for them. The moment you start feeling responsible for them is the moment you’ll stop challenging and start coddling.
I also noticed the conductor was highly elevated so that all the musicians could see what to do and where to go. You can imagine if the conductor came down from his specific role, the team would have had no one to look to and to lead them. This shows how important it is for leaders to be visible to the team. They must be present, working with the team continuously, communicating, and directing. A conductor’s primary function is to help the players come together and create a beautiful experience, just as a leader’s job is to make sure the team is being equipped to do their part well. There would be no one to macro-lead the orchestra if a conductor spent all of his or her time micromanaging the players. The musicians have to learn to trust their conductor, just as the conductor has to trust the musicians. The conductor is there to get the best out of the musicians by practicing and performing with them. It is through this process that a symphony can learn to create beautiful music together.
I also saw that the conductor was highly enthusiastic. I have yet to see a great conductor who didn’t bring passion and flare to their role. Conductors are known to be flamboyant figures, directing the players with intensity and gusto. I love watching these men and women conduct. They bring the music to life. It just makes you feel alive. In the same way, great leaders bring enthusiasm and passion to what they do. You will never see a highly successful person who is docile and melancholy. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
If you observe anyone who is highly successful at what they do, you’ll notice they all bring a strong passion to their craft. There is an energy that exudes from them when they perform. This is because they are in their sweet spot, making things happen, and it lights them up. Having the right point person to lead a team makes all of the difference in the team’s performance and morale. Only put people at the conductor level who exude a high level of passion and enthusiasm for what they do. Nothing kills a team’s performance more than a disinterested and disengaged leader who seems lifeless.
Taken from my book LEADOLOGY: 12 Ideas To Level Up Your Leadership available on Amazon Prime
