Innovation Blog

 Innovation Leadership:   Are YOU Riccardo Muti? Or Herbert von Karajan?

By Shlomo Maital

    von Karajan

     Muti

Itay Talgam is a noted Israeli conductor.  Once we had him lead a session with TIM managers.  He showed them how and why management leadership is similar to conducting an orchestra, and actually had a few of them conduct the TIM “choir”. 

   Talgam recently (July 2009) taped a 23-minute talk on TED [www.ted.com]   (Technology /Entertainment /Design), a marvelous website that features short talks by highly creative individuals.  Talgam, according to TED, has “reinvented himself” by teaching the principles of leadership, based on conducting, to managers.

   Talgam, in his talk, compares two outstanding conductors:  Riccardo Muti and Herbert von Karajan.   Talgam notes:

    “….even though he is one of the greatest conductors, three years ago Muti received a letter from all 700 musicians in his orchestra saying: You’re a great conductor, please resign. [The musicians were members of the famous Italian opera house La Scala].   This, Talgam says, is because he didn’t let them develop.”

   Muti’s leadership style?  “It’s all about me!”   He conducts with sweeping dramatic movements that rivet the audience’s attention.  And his message to the orchestra:  We play Mozart.  It is Mozart as I, Muti,  say it is.  Do what I say.  Your opinion is of no consequence. 

    Talgam demonstrates Muti’s leadership style by asking the audience to sing a note, then stops them with a huge sweeping movement!  And threatens to choke someone who failed to stop singing…  

     Many senior managers are Riccardo Muti clones.  They are, because they believe (and in many cases have been taught) that THIS is true leadership.  Do what I say. 

     But consider another conductor, Herbert von Karajan.   Talgam conducts the TED audience like von Karajan.   His hands move in flowing gestures.  His eyes are closed.  He recounts:

     “Let me tell you, Talgam says, “even the [Berlin] Philharmonic looked at Karajan and then they had to look at each other. He explains that Karajan’s philosophy was that the worst damage he could do to his orchestra was to give them clear instructions because that would prevent them listening to each other.”

     Von Karajan’s leadership style was to empower the musicians and challenge them to understand what the orchestra, as a whole, wanted to say about Mozart, or Verdi, or Beethoven.  His conducting was minimal.  For a time, the orchestra players were puzzled.  How do we know when to “come in” (begin to play?).   They figured it out.  They listened and watched each other, and of course watched the concert-master and the first violins. 

     I believe that true business leaders, the most durable and successful ones, the ones that create powerful organizations (fields of perennial wild flowers)  rather than fleeting quarterly profits (crocuses that bloom for two days and wither) are like von Karajan.  Their leadership style is not to orate sweeping visions, garnering headlines and media attention.  Rather, they lead by creating inspired, empowered followers.  Their leadership gathers talent around them like a magnet, because they see their job, as leaders, as fostering and developing such talent, rather than quashing it because it attracts attention away from their own. 

    Are you Muti?  Or Van Karajan?   If you are Muti, you can change.   Watch Talgam’s TED address,  and buy a few van Karajan CD’s.