Conductors are center leaders
When leaders are in the middle of an organizational hierarchy, they are called middle managers. Conductors are often middle managers - they are above the ensemble and beneath executive leadership in the typical orchestral hierarchy.
That is one of the hardest places to be as a leader - stuck in the middle. Plus, the term middle managers can bring up negative connotations that lead to those leaders being seen as having a lack of agency, impact or influence, and autonomy.
To address this, Tony O'Driscoll talks about how we can call middle managers "center leaders" instead. That struck a chord in me.
The model is based on "the recognition that organizations are networks of relationships." We can see center leaders as the powerful fulcrum between both strategy (upper management) and execution (frontline people). They are in the unique position to convey directives from above and guide the execution of those directives. Most importantly, center leaders have their fingers on the pulse of the organization's culture, and they are well-positioned to influence behavior and motivate change with that knowledge - both above and below.
"They operate as an early detection system that can sense 'weak signals' and bring them to the attention of higher-ups, who often are too far removed from the action. They are the central nervous system of the organizational organism… Center leaders understand the wants, needs, and dreams of the people within the organization. They know what makes them tick. They know what people in the organization will do, and what they won’t." (Read more here.)
This is exactly what conductors do. We are responsible for both execution of strategy from above and advocating for those below. We are the centerpiece in this complicated network of relationships. And that is a delicate dance we spend our whole lives trying to learn.
This further reveals that, as central leaders, we must both manage up and down. If we only manage down, we don't influence the top with valid information from the frontlines. If we only manage up, we neglect the well-being of those in our care.
So when we frame conductors as center leaders (instead of middle managers), we can realize that we are in a position of untapped power and deep responsibility.
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