Conducting and organizational leadership: Are leaders like conductors? Or, are conductors leaders?

Organizational leaders are often compared with (music) conductors. The image of conducting is even used to describe a good leader. I believe the analogy is rather imperfect. Music conductors’ (whether orchestral, choral or operatic) essential function is to make sure that the composer’s score is correctly or appropriately performed. The score indicates in a very detailed way what, when and how each player has to play.  Thus, in order to “implement” the score, conductors beat the measure (indicating the rythm and speed), give entrances and exits to the different players or sections and gesticulate the desired dynamics (crescendo, diminuendo, piano, forte). Conductors have a certain margin of discretion to interpret the score, the composer’s “will” beyond what the composer wrote. However, this margin is very limited. Moreover, a significant amount of rehearsal takes place before the actual public performance/s.

Conducting entails leading but of a very special kind. The conductor provides (or is supposed to provide) a certain sense of direction for each piece being performed and in a way has to artistically or musically “motivate” the orchestra musicians, his/her subordinates, to adopt his or her musical vision. However and, maybe it’s probably what appeals people, like in the image of the all-powerful leader, conductors command by the mere gesture and they are usually obeyed (i.e. followed). This immediate physical influence of the conductor as ensemble “leader” is almost military, but it’s to a large extent just an appearance because the conductor is basically following the score. Discretion (in the form of orders which are not written in the score) is minimal.

Further, most organizations rarely have such a detailed score for their activities which indicates exactly what, who, when and how a task needs to be performed, despite the increasing existence of standard operating procedures (March & Simon, 1958), routines (Nelson & Winter, 1982) or manuals. Further, as mentioned, the “good” produced (the pieces played) does not change so often and thus its production doesn’t need to be rehearsed so extensively. Moreover, the most important role of an organizational leader is not to interpret the “score” or the manual but to make sure it is created, maintained, implemented and changed, along with defining the direction for the organization and not necessarily putting the “interpretative” touch in each good produced. Of course, when a conductor holds the title of music or artistic director of an ensemble then it also exercises this strategic role of deciding about the repertoire of the orchestra for 3-5 years, as well as influencing personnel decisions. But this is different than the operational task of conducting.