Leadership Ensemble: Lessons in Collaborative Management from the World's Only Conductorless Orchestra

by Harvey Seifter, Peter Economy

An exciting new model for streamlining organizational management and structure, from an organization known around the world for its innovative structure.

For nearly three decades the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has earned rave reviews as one of the premier touring musical ensembles in the world. Recently, it has also attracted the attention and admiration of the business world. As the only major orchestra without a conductor, Orpheus is a shining example of a new management style based on collaborative leadership.

Leadership Ensemble is designed to show business leaders in any industry how to re-create the successful "Orpheus Process" in their own companies by dismantling top-heavy hierarchies; developing flexible, responsive strategies and decision-making procedures; and unleashing employee creativity, responsibility, and productivity. The authors delineate the ten core principles of collaborative management, including shared and rotated leadership, passionate dedication to mission, clarity of roles within an organization, and learning to listen. Spiced with anecdotes and lessons from the life of Orpheus and case studies from the world of business, Leadership Ensemble is an entertaining, eminently practical guide to implementing changes essential to survival in today's speed-of-light business environment.

Genres: Leadership

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting & well-written but little use for this information now that I am retiring from a business career.

[Bryson Mortensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s fine. It takes what is a revolutionary concept in orchestras and distilled it into so many principles and rules that almost miss what makes their concept so exciting.

[Jan Höglund · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a practical example of collaborative leadership. The principles which the Orpheus Conductorless Orchestra uses are described at length. The principles are:

1. Put power in the hands of the people doing the work
2. Encourage individual responsibility
3. Create clarity of roles
3. Share and rotate leadership
4. Foster horizontal teamwork
5. Learn to listen, learn to talk
6. Seek consensus
7. Dedicate passionately to your mission

It's a great book!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former music major and a current business writer, I really enjoyed this book. It's a nice conversational work that discusses some very solid principles of collaborative leadership. Definitely recommended.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shame that this book is out of print. Interesting read for professionals in the arts, but the concepts are also applicable in many other office environments. I recommend it if you're able to find it.

[Dominique Dejonghe]

What can business learn from an orchestra? A lot!