Benjamin Zander is the conductor of The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a guest conductor around the world. In the two-minute video below, he shares his most important professional discovery. It’s a concept that all of us can apply to inspire the thoughts and actions of others.
Warning: To make this work for you, you first have to stop trying to take yourself too seriously. If you observe Ben Zander in action, you can learn from a master.
To repeat the video’s two closing questions:
While it’s best to hear Ben say it, the epiphany that transformed his outlook on his role as an orchestra conductor is simply:
“The conductor of an orchestra is the only member that doesn’t make a sound.”
“He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful.”
He further describes his discovery: “My job is to awaken possibility in other people.”
Isn’t a leader’s effectiveness dependent on the “ability to make other people powerful”? If you could become a master at awakening possibility in others, how much more could you achieve?
How do you know if you’re successfully awaking others? Ben advises that you “look at their eyes”.
“If their eyes are shining, you know you’re doing it!”
And as you’re able to instill shining eyes with those you lead, imagine the tangible measurable results that will ensue.
Ben believes that
“Success is about how many shining eyes I have around me”.
So he has learned to ask himself:
“Who am I being that my players eyes are not shining?”
The question captures the essence of a leaders personal accountability while avoiding the trap of playing the blame game.
How can you start to put this power to use?
In the Ted Talks video below, you can experience the effervescent conductor for 20 minutes of inspiring discussion of music and his discovery. It concludes with another lesson that forever changed his behavior. “I will never say anything that couldn’t stand as the last thing I ever said.”
As business leaders, we have some advantages over orchestra conductors. Our visions and goals are more tangible and measurable than the performance of a musical score. Does that mean that shining eyes are any less important to their achievement?
Observe Ben Zander as he communicates his vision and empowers his performers to achieve it without ever exercising his authority. Then ask yourself:
To build your reputation as an inspirational leader, you must become a person capable of instilling shining eyes.
Watch and learn as Ben leads a group to find new purpose in tTe Happy Birthday Song.
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