If you’re not a good leader, it doesn’t matter how polished your musical skills are.
There’s a reason I spend so much time thinking, reading, and writing about leadership. I think it’s undervalued when we train music educators and conductors, and I think its value is far greater than your clear ictus, your ability to sight transpose orchestral scores, or your encyclopedic knowledge of repertoire, theory, or technique. Without strong leadership, none of those will be effectively conveyed to the people you’re teaching and leading.
What traits does a good musical leader possess? For me, the list must include: clear, curious, generous, humane, humble, responsive, tireless. Without these and many other leadership tools, nothing else will take the ensembles you lead as far as it should.