Making music together

The Polish conductor Marzena Diakun added depth and texture to my understanding of leadership, as she led a sophisticated musical performance at the Elbphilharmonie, in solidarity with those suffering in war. The 'Elphi' is one of the largest and finest concert halls in the world, rising like a giant wave from the Port of Hamburg. While an amazing architectural work, it is a more stunning sensory experience, sweeping you away on a wave of emotion as the music swells through the chamber, through your head and heart. In a moment that transcends time the audience is united in the music, becoming one with the composer and the musicians in a giant act of solidarity. Music, like other forms of art and high culture, transports us from the mundane to the metaphysical.

leadership is a relationship of mutual service and personal responsibility for a noble purpose.

In that concert hall I looked down and saw leadership personified as a harmony of moving parts, as Ms Diakun, gesturing with the wand as an extension of herself, energised an assembly of the finest musicians to create something none could do without the other. Looking down on the musicians from on high equalised them as people, and highlighted the reality of one leader with many followers, with each understanding and taking their part.

What a perfect metaphor of leadership as a relationship of mutual service and personal responsibility for a noble purpose. Leadership is not something leaders do. It's something we agree to do together because we share the dream, and are prepared to play our part, and help others with their part

The image of the conductor and orchestra is often used to talk about the CEO and leadership. However, for the first time following a deep study of leadership and personalism, I found myself immersed in that metaphor. The fundamental premise of personalism, going back to the French thinkers Emmanuel Mounier and Jacques Maritain, is that understanding any activities that include persons must start with a consideration of the persons involved and impacted by that activity. Further, personalism makes the key claim that a person is not a means to an end, but an end in themselves. Hence we seek meaning and purpose in all we do.

We find fulfillment when we pursue meaning and purpose, in relationships of personal responsibility and mutual service with others

Therefore, in order to truly understand and appreciate a performance, we must ask about the musicians and the audience, and in what manner they are fulfilled in this shared activity. Fulfillment is a consequence of finding meaning and purpose, in relationships with others, where those relationships are marked by personal responsibility and service.

I experienced fulfillment in that concert hall as Ms Diakun invited us all, by her openness, transparency and vulnerability, to participate with her in the creation of a magical moment. She created the environment for the musicians to serve us as they intend: to deliver their best possible performance. This flows from the responsibility each musician takes for their contribution, in their practice and preparation, their readiness and reliability. In the moment of the performance, they put aside other concerns and distractions and focus on the task at hand. This, in turn, enabled the audience to take responsibility for our part: listening with silence respect and intentionality.

In the final work on the program—Bohuslav Martinu’s Third Symphony—I observed one of the percussionists, having sat for much of the performance, stand and reach for his cymbals. Intently he watched the music and the conductor. Waiting for this moment. For his moment to play his part. To make the cymbals sing. Three times in short succession the metal rang out.?Then he silently replaced the cymbals and returned to his seat, his contribution over in a few short seconds.

When you play in harmony with others, you can release your music to the world

Suddenly l saw and heard that the relational dimension of leadership is not simply a personal knowing of one another, of the conductor knowing the cymbal striker as a person, but the relationship of their actions to bring into existence something that only existed as a concept moments earlier. The relationship of their parts, played in harmony, released the music to the world.

What lessons there are in this for leadership as a relationship of equals, taking personal responsibility for their contribution, in service of each other and a greater purpose.

The orchestra invites a set of questions:

• What is your role, and are you taking full responsibility for your preparation, your contribution, your service, your relationship with others, or are you cruising from your position of authority, or resting on the laurels of your expertise?
• Are you intent on delivering an exceptional experience for your audience, for your customers, despite your own frustrations with colleagues, or distractions with life? In other words, when you are at work, are you bringing your A-game, playing at your best for those who need you to be at your best?
• Do you truly grasp there really is only one CEO, one leader, who has a unique set of responsibilities?
• As CEO, are you taking up those responsibilities, stepping up and grasping the baton of leadership, maintaining harmony and forward movement in your team? While all the musicians in the orchestra may be world class in their field, they need you, as the conductor, to help them be their best on that day, with you and with each other.

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