The Ignorant Maestro: How Great Leaders Inspire Unpredictable Brilliance

In The Ignorant Maestro, Symphony Orchestra conductor Itay Talgam reveals the art of successful leadership by looking at the world's greatest conductorsA conductor in front of his orchestra is an iconic symbol of leadership. But what does a maestro actually do to ensure cooperation, harmony and a flawless performance?The key is to embrace ignorance.For twenty years, orchestra conductor Itay Talgam has drawn on his experience on the podium to teach non-musicians the art of leading like a conductor - from CEOs to entrepreneurs, politicians to schoolteachers. In The Ignorant Maestro, he brings that art to leaders everywhere. Turning to six of the most iconic conductors as examples, from the dictatorial Muti to Bernstein, the master of dialogue, Talgam's anecdotes and insights will change the way you think about listening, humility and the path to unpredictable brilliance. They will equip you for exceptional leadership. And they will empower you to lead your team to greater harmony.

Biographies & Memoirs

Talgam, Itay

Leaders & Notable People

Portfolio/Penguin

The Ignorant Maestro Lib/E: How Great Leaders Inspire Unpredictable Brilliance

Business & Money

Management & Leadership

Blackstone Publishing

Conductors face the ultimate leadership challenge: command a complex organization in real time before an audience, not once stopping or starting over. For the great conductor, leadership is an art; he gives direction without saying a word. But the leadership techniques of a maestro do not apply only to the symphony. Far from being specifically geared toward classical music aficionados, The Ignorant Maestro is for anyone seeking to improve their leadership skills. Appealing to the universal need to find harmony, Itay Talgam observes the leadership styles of six great conductors and presents listeners with six faces of leadership based on those conductors' styles.

The Ignorant Maestro

Blackstone Pub

Conductors face the ultimate leadership challenge: command a complex organization in real time before an audience, not once stopping or starting over. For the great conductor, leadership is an art; he gives direction without saying a word. But the leadership techniques of a maestro do not apply only to the symphony. Far from being specifically geared toward classical music aficionados, The Ignorant Maestro is for anyone seeking to improve their leadership skills. Appealing to the universal need to find harmony, Itay Talgam observes the leadership styles of six great conductors and presents listeners with six faces of leadership based on those conductors' styles.

“Choosing ignorance might seem a terrible quality to exhibit in your workplace—a sure path down the stairs and out the corporate door. But stick with me here and see how it leads you upward. You’ll understand why great leaders embrace ignorance and use it to elevate their people to new heights of achievement.” A conductor in front of his orchestra is an iconic symbol of leadership—but what does a true maestro actually do to enable the right sort of cooperation among his players, leading to an excellent performance? If you think his primary job is making sure the musicians play the right notes, prepare to be surprised. For twenty years, in addition to conducting orchestras around the world, Itay Talgam has been a “conductor of people” for companies large and small, for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies as well as startup entrepreneurs, and beyond. Drawing on his decades of experience on the podium, he teaches nonmusicians how conducting really works and how the conductor’s art can help leaders in any field. In his lectures (including an acclaimed TED talk) and now in this book, Talgam shows why imposing your vision on your people is likely to backfire. Great conductors may know in advance how they want a piece to be played, but they make room for the creativity and passion of their musicians. They respect the gap between the baton and the instruments. They focus more on listening than on speaking. And they embrace their own ignorance, knowing that others may have better ideas than the conductor can imagine. Talgam explores the nuances of leadership by describing the distinctive styles of six world-famous conductors: the commanding Riccardo Muti, the fatherly and passionate Arturo Toscanini, the calm Richard Strauss, the gurulike Herbert von Karajan, the dancing Carlos Kleiber, and the master of dialogue Leonard Bernstein. All took different approaches to the age-old leadership dilemma: how to maximize both control and creative freedom at the same time. The Ignorant Maestro will empower you to help your own team make even more beautiful music. Talgam’s anecdotes and insights will change the way you think about listening, humility, and the path to unpredictable brilliance.

Business Culture

Portfolio

What leaders in any field can learn from legendary conductors and their mixtures of control and letting go. A conductor in front of his orchestra is an iconic symbol of leadership--but what does a maestro actually do in order to create unity, excellence and harmony? And how can a leader in other fields, remote from violin playing and Mozart, benefit from observing orchestral conductors? Itay Talgam explores the different ways a maestro can work with his orchestra, by examining the leadership styles of six of the most famous and distinctive conductors of all time: the commanding Ricardo Muti, the fatherly and passionate Arturo Toscanini, the calm Richard Strauss, the guru-like Herbert von Karajan, the dancing Carlos Kleiber, and the master of dialogue Leonard Bernstein. Against the backdrop of traditional controlling leadership, Talgam shows how great contemporary leadership mixes control and letting go, promotes new knowledge by choosing to be ignorant, creates unity through embracing gaps, and enhances leadership effectiveness by adopting keynote listening. Using the same universal tools, leaders can conduct their organizations to their maximum potential--whether in business, education, government, sports, or any other field.

Portfolio (Hc)

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Books by Talgam, Itay

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Talgam, Itay. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Ignorant Maestro: How Great Leaders Inspire Unpredictable Brilliance

The Ignorant Maestro Lib/E: How Great Leaders Inspire Unpredictable Brilliance

The Ignorant Maestro

The Ignorant Maestro: How Great Leaders Inspire Unpredictable Brilliance

The Ignorant Maestro: How Great Leaders Inspire Unpredictable Brilliance

The Ignorant Maestro