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Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Orchestral Maneuvers and Leadership

Adrian Savage, over at Slow Leadership, has posted one of the best analogies, comparing leaders in two different arenas: business leaders and orchestra conductors.

The best quote that sums it up?

"One of the images I like best for Slow Leaders is the conductor of an orchestra. Not the leader. The leader of the orchestra isn't the conductor, it's the principal violin player. The conductor's there to set the right tempo and manage the interpretation of the piece the orchestra's playing. The conductor must also keep a close watch on the balance of sound between the various instruments..."

BOTTOMLINE: And so it is in business. The conductor (the business leader - the CEO, president, owner, founder ...or just leader) is there to set the right tempo, manage the interpretation of the mission, vision, values, strategic position of the organization, set goals that lead, and align the team members continually, as they play the company's "music" every day.

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