I desperately, passionately, unreservedly do not want to conduct my ensembles through compliance leadership.
I am not, and refuse to be, a chair-throwing, yelling, lap-demanding leader.
Part of that is temperament–that type of behavior would fit me exceedingly poorly.
But a much bigger part has to do with my aspirations for my students.
Because I do not believe that leadership through compliance produces the outcomes I want. Not high-quality music making; that can definitely be produced through compliance leadership.
But this. Remarkable adults–adults capable of dreaming and then actualizing their dreams–are not produced through compliance leadership. They are produced by systematically empowering them, encouraging them, and enabling them to make the right decisions, day by day, to achieve their goals.
This is much, much harder than yelling or throwing chairs.
And it’s worth it.
