Leadership Comes in Many Forms

When thinking of leadership, most think of business leaders who are responsible for leading subordinates to make a product or provide a service. Actually, leaders come in many forms with goals beyond any commercial concern. So, is the example of David Robertson, music director of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Through his approach to leadership, he has acquired the commitment of his players and is building a lasting reputation of excellence for this group. It is clear the fruits of his labor are many including comparisons between his orchestra and symphonies in much larger cities such as New York and Chicago. In fact, his name has been mentioned when openings occur for such groups as the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

What makes this conductor such a good leader and example? When learning more about Mr. Robertson, several key traits and characteristics are noteworthy and appear attributable to his success.

First, he has a burning commitment to his orchestra. This commitment can be seen in a most recent quote, “I’ve never looked at anything I do as a steppingstone to someplace else”. It is clear that he is not looking for the next big thing but values his current relationship and focuses his attention on that relationship. I believe his players can sense that commitment and focus and in turn, provide it back to him.

Second, Mr. Robertson values player’s creativity and allows them to express it through their work. This ability to value creativity drives a deeper commitment from those being lead and allows them to feel as if they are part of the process rather than simple order takers.

Third, this conductor sees inspiration as coming from the composer, the musicians and the audience. It is interesting that when he addresses the topic of inspiration, he doesn’t mention his role as conductor. One would think the conductor would brag about the level and type of inspiration that he brings. Not the case with Mr. Robertson. In fact, he sees his job as reflecting and refracting these inspirations in a manner to bring out the best in all of them. Apparently, his focus is on others and optimizing their abilities rather than promoting his own.

As I mentioned earlier, David Robertson’s role as conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra has something to show everyone interested in the topic of leadership. His commitment, ability to value creativity and focus on others are three valuable lessons in learning about effective leadership.

While I’ve never met Mr. Robertson, I can only imagine the level of commitment he has spurred in the players in the Saint Louis ensemble. May we learn something from this conductor beyond the realm of musical excellence.

This blog entry was based on a Wall Street Journal article published Wednesday, November 4, 2009 (David Mermelstein, The Conductor Reflects, Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2009, p. D7).