I thought Talgam's ideas on leadership and conducting quite creative. As a musician, I was thoroughly engaged in his presentation and how he compared the various conductor-styles. In comparing the styles of the conductors, he also compared leadership styles. For example, he noted that the forceful and commanding conductor, though clear in his instruction, was too forceful; he was so forceful in his leading that he was asked to resign. Talgam noted another conductor who expected his orchestra to "read his mind". This particular conductor directed with his eyes closed and his cues were not quite clear; the orchestra had to rely on one another for the next steps. There was almost a sense of required-anticipation. Finally, Talgam highlighted those conductors who directed with freedom, not so much for themselves but for their musicians. Rather than directing the entire time, some of the conductors listened and enjoyed the fantastic musical moments. I think that Talgam creatively and insightfully merged the roll of an orchestra conductor with the roll of leaders in an organization; I definitely think that his ideas are worth considering.
While conducting an orchestra and leading an organization will not align in every situation, I do see some direct correlations. For example, as Talgam shared about the conductor who directed with his eyes closed, I thought about leaders who do not clearly communicate their expectations. In some ways, those leaders are like the conductor who expects subordinates to know the next steps. I suppose leaders and conductors should expect his or her followers to know the next steps, still, the role of the leader is to first communicate expectations and then support subordinates in their efforts.
Talgam's leader-conductor comparisons also made me think of the leader who leads with force. Sometimes force is needed and micromanaging is occasionally required for certain employees. However, not all employees require micromanagement; additionally, leading with force and distrust could actually be more damaging than constructive.
Finally, Talgam's focus on conductors who allow their orchestra to do what they were trained to do, is my favorite leader-comparison. I have found that some of the most effective leaders are those who are servant-focused individuals who trust subordinates to do what they were trained to do. Like the conductor, the leader trusts that he or she trained his or her subordinates well, that said, all that remains is trust. Leaders must trust that they both hired and trained employees to accomplish given tasks.
Although Talgam's leader-conductor idea is not applicable for every leader situation, it certainly does provide a stimulating,thought-provoking, and creative conversation about leadership.
https://www.ted.com/talks/itay_talgam_lead_like_the_great_conductors?language=en
No comments:
Post a Comment