There’s time for both of these directorial approaches.
When I’m with a student ensemble, I like to prioritizing discovering. We explore the piece together, learn about it, and learn about what works for us. I do this because it creates opportunities for them to grow, because it creates a more organic final musical product, and because there are then lots of chances to think about music with a group.
When I’m in a long pro band rehearsal, as I was in tonight, the most important thing is to have the right answer now. And if you don’t have it, then decide now. This is how we increase efficiency in a long rehearsal. The pros don’t need to discover something, they need to get the job done.
I have to work hard to remind myself that what they need from me is decisiveness. Because I spend so much time in discovering, it’s a real mind shift. But I know lots of conductors who are permanently stuck in deciding now – having all the answers and pushing them out to their students. This isn’t necessarily the right long-term strategy. Better to switch between deciding now and discovering when possible.