Top 4 Traits of a Leader

Talent, charisma, humor — all traits of "natural born leaders," but can leadership be forged, nurtured, and taught? While talent, charisma, and humor may help a leader, authenticity eats humor for breakfast. And what about empathy — is it enough to show traits like empathy — or is being empathetic, engaged, and "real" the paradigm shift that differentiates good leaders from great leaders? What role does vision play in the success of the leader? And what's the one thing about leadership that goes unsaid?

Putting the Focus on Others

"Me, me, me:" There is nothing that turns a group off faster than when the leader is all about themselves. Conducting is an odd type of leadership because I literally stand on a box and wave a stick at people. How much more obvious could it be that I am the person in a position of power? However, when you are leading from the podium, I see no other way than to place the focus on others. There is the composer whose music I am advocating for, there are the orchestral musicians whose needs must be met to bring forth the best performance, and there is the community that the entire organization serves by bringing them music that nourishes the soul. When you focus on yourself, yes, you may get something in return. However, when you focus on being of service to others, such amazingly wonderful (and often unexpected) things will occur that touch and surprise you.

The Importance of "Being" and "Becoming"

In conducting, showing entrances and dynamics is musically bankrupt. However, if you can become the instrument that is entering the musical texture, become the crescendo through intensifying internally, and become the harmonies of the score by resonating internally, we can become a vessel for the expression of the music. Likewise, if a leader shows empathy but is not an empathetic person, any attempts to show empathy will come off as a facade. While empathy exercises are available for those interested, this is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching leadership. Until a leader can put themselves in a colleague's shoes, feel what their colleague feels, and fully experience their colleague's experiences, the leader will struggle.

Vision

Vision is an elusive — but critical — trait in a leader. If you can see "it" in your mind's eye, then you have a vision. The question is: what is "it?" "It" could be the make-up of the orchestra: does it reflect the make-up and diversity of the community you serve? "It" could be the audience: does it include musically enthralled children coming to masterworks performances with their parents? "It" could be the creation of a new concert hall. "It" could be seeing a 20-year-old in dreads wearing a rock-n-roll T-shirt and jeans rocking out to Jessie Montgomery and then to Tchaikovsky. The trick to creating — and then achieving — vision is to define what "it" is and then visualize it in your mind's eye.

The Unsaid Thing About Leadership

People don't always like you. There, I said it. This one can be tough for me because I don't want anyone not to like me. And, I hope that by enrolling people in our vision, being empathetic, and placing the emphasis on others, that the naysayers will see enough positive to outweigh whatever hangups they have. However, people may not like you simply because you occupy a position of leadership. When I feel down because I know someone doesn't like me, I remind myself that my job is not to be liked but to lead. My job is not to be popular but to achieve. If I can do this while being a good husband, father, an honest musician, and empathetic human being, I find that I can sleep well enough at night so that I have the energy to get up the following morning and continue working to achieve greatness for the music, the musicians, and the community.