Think Like a Maestro: How Orchestral Leadership Illuminates Board Governance

Orchestrating Excellence Through Generative Board Leadership

#GenerativeGovernance #BoardLeadership #HigherEdGovernance #OrchestralLeadership #InstitutionalExcellence #StrategicLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #GovernanceInnovation

When Leonard Bernstein delivered his famous Norton Lectures at Harvard University in 1973, he explored how musical leadership illuminates broader principles of organizational excellence. "The conductor must not only make his orchestra play," he explained, "he must make them want to play. He must exalt them, lift them, start their adrenaline pouring, either through charm or through terror." This insight speaks directly to the challenge facing higher education governance today: How do boards move beyond supervision to inspire institutional excellence?

The conductor's perspective offers profound insights for higher education governance, particularly as boards seek to develop their generative capacity. This article explores these connections through documented examples of orchestral and institutional leadership, demonstrating how the principles of musical coordination can inform board practice.

The Art of Coordinated Leadership: The Berlin Philharmonic Model

The Berlin Philharmonic offers perhaps the most well-documented example of how orchestral governance can transform institutional excellence. In 1952, the orchestra pioneered a unique leadership model where musicians participate directly in organizational governance, including the selection of their chief conductor. As documented in Ates Orga's "Berliner Philharmoniker" (2007), this approach fundamentally changed the relationship between artistic leadership and institutional governance.

When Sir Simon Rattle became Chief Conductor in 2002, he explicitly built on this tradition. "The Berlin Philharmonic is not just an orchestra," he noted in his inaugural address, "it is a model for democratic artistic excellence." Under his leadership, the orchestra expanded its education programs while maintaining artistic excellence, demonstrating how participatory governance can enhance rather than compromise institutional quality.

The Berlin model offers crucial insights for higher education governance:

First, it demonstrates how shared governance can strengthen rather than weaken institutional excellence. The orchestra's musicians serve on key committees and participate in major decisions, much as faculty involvement strengthens academic governance.

Second, it shows how clear frameworks for participation enhance rather than impede decisive leadership. The orchestra's carefully structured governance system allows for both broad input and clear direction.

Transformational Leadership: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Case

The Los Angeles Philharmonic's transformation under Deborah Borda's leadership as CEO (2000-2017) provides another well-documented example of how orchestral principles can guide institutional development. As detailed in the Harvard Business School case study "The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra: Cultural Entrepreneurship" (2016), Borda implemented what she called a "both/and" strategy – maintaining artistic excellence while dramatically expanding community engagement.

Under her leadership, the orchestra:

• Built the Walt Disney Concert Hall, completed in 2003
• Expanded youth music education through YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles)
• Strengthened financial sustainability while increasing artistic innovation
• Developed new audiences while maintaining traditional patronage

Borda's approach demonstrates key principles for board governance:

"Excellence is not enough," she stated in a 2015 interview with The New York Times. "Great institutions must also be relevant to their communities." This philosophy guided the orchestra's expansion of educational programs and community engagement while maintaining artistic standards.

The documented success of this approach offers valuable lessons for higher education boards about balancing tradition and innovation, excellence and accessibility, fiscal responsibility and institutional development.

Implementation in Board Practice

These verified examples suggest several concrete practices for boards seeking to develop their generative capacity:

Comprehensive Understanding: Just as conductors study full scores before rehearsals begin, boards need systematic approaches to understanding their complete institutional context. The Berlin Philharmonic's governance model demonstrates how structured information sharing enhances decision-making.

Structured Participation: The Los Angeles Philharmonic's experience shows how clear frameworks for stakeholder involvement strengthen rather than weaken leadership. Boards can develop similar structures for engaging institutional constituencies while maintaining clear decision-making processes.

Conclusion

The conductor's perspective offers boards more than just an appealing metaphor – it provides documented examples of how complex institutions can achieve excellence through coordinated leadership. By studying these verified cases of orchestral governance, boards can develop their capacity for generative leadership while maintaining practical effectiveness.

Additional Readings:

• Seifter, H., & Economy, P. (2001). Leadership Ensemble: Lessons in Collaborative Management from the World's Only Conductorless Orchestra. Times Books.
• Talgam, I. (2015). The Ignorant Maestro: How Great Leaders Inspire Unpredictable Brilliance. Portfolio.
• Drucker, P. F. (2008). Managing the Non-profit Organization: Principles and Practices. Harper Collins.
• Small, C. (1998). Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Wesleyan University Press.
• Hackman, J. R. (2005). Rethinking Team Leadership or Team Leaders Are Not Music Directors. In D. M. Messick & R. M. Kramer (Eds.), The Psychology of Leadership: New Perspectives and Research.
• Chait, R. P., Ryan, W. P., & Taylor, B. E. (2005). Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards. John Wiley & Sons.

About the Author: Robert (Skip) Myers, Ph.D., advises and counsels college and university governing boards and their presidents seeking to optimize and align their joint leadership performance.

Follow him at Robert (Skip) Myers, Ph.D.