Covert Leadership: Notes on Managing Professionals

December 12, 2001

Welcome (5 min)
Objective: to enhance understanding of management systems by
comparing the management of an orchestra with an educational setting
Groups
Assignments

Discussion Groups
Group discussion of questions (15 min)
Blue questions #1 and #6
Red questions #2 and #7
White questions #3 and #8
Black questions #5 and #9
Presentation of summary of discussions to class (5 min)

Debate
Reconstitute the groups
Group discussion of position on debate question (20 min)
A principal is to a school what a conductor is to an orchestra.
Blue positive
White negative
A school like an orchestra is constrained by what has been written, the
degree it can be interpreted, by the sounds the audience can hear and the
ability and willingness of the key individuals to play.
Black positive
Red negative
Presentation of position to the class (15 min)

Conclusions

Covert Leadership: Notes on Managing Professionals

December 12, 2001
Notes for Debate

Conductor
-

selects program
determines how music is played
staffs orchestra
chooses guest artists
manages external relationships
doesnt read reports to determine performance
doesnt go on retreats to build teamwork
is a leader among equals
directing is highly circumscribed
manages boundary conditions
provides support and protection
has other staff for number crunching
has mostly predetermined culture
doesnt delegate tasks
doesnt handle administration
communication is often non-verbal
addresses comments only to sections
keeps professional distance to orchestra
takes direct charge of what needs to be done
conducts mini-projects (rehearsal/performance)
leadership is very covert
must respect and accept players expertise
fosters mutual trust
puts personal touch on traditional culture
operates both in and down as well as up and out
acts as both operating manager and senior manager

Principal

Orchestra
-

expectations are clear

SOPs for everything
many rituals
high degree of structure
little direct supervision
play alone yet work together
players all have agendas
culture and traditions dominate
rehearsals are not about enhancing skills
but rather about coordinating them
one big team with one leader
there are sections but no departments
they sit together, in one space, and heard
at one time
tension between highly trained professionals
and clear, personal leadership
all know the score
dont need to be empowered
need to be inspired, infused with energy
roles are clear and traditional

Further notes:

Teachers

Covert Leadership: Notes

Knowledge workers respond to inspiration, not supervision
Discussion questions:
1. How are conductors and principals the same and/or different?
2. In an orchestra, there is tension between highly trained professionals and clear
personal leadership from the conductor. Is this similar to teachers and principals?
3. Are SOLs, teachers and principals the same as scores, orchestras and conductors?
4. What do the managing words that Dr. Mintzberg uses mean to you:
-

controlling / communicating
leading / linking
doing / dealing

5. Is the culture of an orchestra parallel that found in schools? Why or why not?
6. What is the balance between doing and leading in an educational setting?
7. Is there a concrete ceiling in a school and how might it be bridged?
8. Are teachers also highly trained professionals similar to orchestra members, with
the same requirements and needs? Are teachers also like herding cats?
9. Is the balance between covert and overt leadership in an orchestra similar to that
found in a school?
Please consider the following two statements:
A principal is to a school what a conductor is to an orchestra.
A school like an orchestra is constrained by what has been written, the degree it
can be interpreted, by the sounds the audience can hear and the ability and
willingness of the key individuals to play.

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