Management and Leadership Techniques...From 2700 years ago

Company Owners, Leaders and Managers, I have a question for you: Do you have more than 140 people reporting to you? OK, how about a hundred or so? I mean as in 'direct reports', not just people who are up or down the line in your organization charts.

For most of us, the answer would be way below 140 or even 100 and that is as it should be.

Now let's ask about those people who are directly within you span of control. Do every one of them do exactly what they are supposed to do, at least most of the time? Do they do so both individually and as part of a Team? Do they bring their very best personal and professional attributes to the table in concert with the very best talents and strengths of their peers? Are they consummate professionals? And, are YOU the force behind making all of that happen?

For most of us, if we are honest, the answers to these questions would likely be, "...no, but we're trying..." And that again, is how it should be; for us to try and to strive every day.

I was at a symphony concert recently and I was struck by several things that, I believe, relate to our jobs as Owners, Leaders and Managers.

I saw the Conductor, the Leader, standing in front of 140 people for over 90 minutes and he never opened his mouth. He had a tiny baton in one hand that couldn't have weighed more than a few ounces. With that baton, he moved every one of those 140 people in perfect union to the enjoyment of all of their Customers (the audience).

While undoubtedly passionate, he never shouted, never criticized and never stormed on or off the stage. Yet he and his Team produced what sounded like a flawless performance. He directed each Team Member to literally "play" to their individual as well as their collective strengths.

Before I forget, is it likely that every single Customer who attended that evening expected exactly the same thing or had exactly the same tastes in music? It is, in fact, quite unlikely that they did.

But what they all did come with was an individual expectation of what they should receive and with an experience that they had in mind in exchange for their outlays of cash and commitments of time. Sound familiar?

Like every one of our Customers, they wanted their expectations, simple or elaborate, first time or as a 'regular', to be fulfilled.

Back to the Conductor. What else did he do? Well, besides having great hair (ever notice that all Conductors have great hair?) he actively observed every one of his people. He also encouraged every one of them to bring forth their own very unique sound with their specific instruments while following (and this is important) the 'rules' set by the Composer of the musical score and not just in any way that they saw fit. Everyone knew the plan and everyone understood why and how the plan made sense.

With only the twitch of an eye, a smile, a glance or a nod, the Conductor moved tens of thousands of musical notes in exactly the proper direction with all the twists and turns and the highs and lows that came along the way.

In the end, what the Customers (audience) saw was a Team of highly skilled people, with individual talents of varying degrees, applied to a common goal, acting in a manner in which they had been trained, clearly excited about what they were achieving and all willing to accept direction from a single person for whom they had great respect. WOW!

Is that how you and your Team will perform this week or this weekend? If so. WOW again!

I clearly understand that what I saw at the symphony that night didn't just magically happen. It was the result of hours and days of practice and commitment to a singular cause. It took each and every person who was hired for, or added to the orchestra team to be the right mix of personality, skill set and strength. In our terminology, it took talent acquisition and talent management by Leadership that understood and valued both.

Those important elements made the 'whole' greater than the sum of the 'parts'. And yes, it also took role plays by individual musicians helping one another to make a better presentation; all under the practiced eye of the Conductor who started and ended the entire process with a PLAN.

And when the performance was over, his first bow, and his first recognition was in the direction of his Team; acknowledging and thanking them for a job well done.

By the way, the first recorded use of an 8 ounce baton in music was in 706 BC! (2700 years ago).

Even then, not a club, not a raised voice, not even a series of demands. Just eight ounces in the right person's hand.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: There are so many lessons here about hiring the best and the brightest, about communicating often and well, and about coaching. Start your Team off by showing them what the 'goal' or 'end product' looks like. Show them the 'beauty' of how it all comes together when each person brings their best game to the efforts of the 'whole'. Praise them for performing.

While it sounds trite, do they believe they can make beautiful music happen for your Customers? Think about how you can lead like a Conductor!

Allan DeNiro is an Author, Speaker and Facilitator for Organizations and Industry Gatherings. He would be proud to join your Team at their next event. A complete Profile is on LinkedIn.com. If you learned something today, please share this article across your networks.