Sublime

The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound. He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful. Ben Zander, Boston Philharmonic

Now, in the light of my “discovery,” I began to shift my attention to how effective I was at enabling the musicians to play each phrase as beautifully as they were capable.

the player who looks least engaged may be the most committed member of the group.

The relationship between people and environments is highlighted, not the people and things themselves.

is not in the context of measuring people’s performance against standards that we propose giving the A,

The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound. He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful. BEN ZANDER, BOSTON PHILHARMONIC

I began to ask myself questions like “What makes a group lively and engaged?” instead of “How good am I?” So palpable was the difference in my approach to conducting as a result of this “silent conductor” insight, that players in the orchestra started asking me, “What happened to you?”

A monumental question for leaders in any organization to consider is: How much greatness are we willing to grant people? Because it makes all the difference at every level who it is we decide we are leading.