The Leader, The Director

            Leaders in business have much to learn from leaders in the performing arts.

Susan Booth, Artistic Director of the Alliance Theatre, recipient of the Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre in 2007 explains:  "A director prepares for the conversation with the audience, harvests all the voices in the room and knows how to stand behind the cast and audience and not between".

The best directors are ‘present’, watching, listening, and expressing what is happening before them. He or she trusts the talent around them, and collects what each person brings. They give actors space to explore and own their characters; balance their need for control with empowerment, know when to get involved and when to stand back. They are authentic. Directors create a positive work environment, where everybody gets to talk and everybody's ideas are honored and considered. People are allowed to make mistakes. A rehearsal is an exploration not an exam. Mistakes are a given.

The most important thing a director does is cast the play. If you have a great play and cast the wrong people, the play will likely fall flat. In contrast, even a poor play may come alive with the right cast. After casting, a director recognizes that different actors need different things from them, and adopt their interactions and guidance accordingly. A director is a synthesizer, a sensemaker, a sculptor, who sees emergent patterns from the collective process. He or she is the eyes and ears of the group, representing their interests with others back stage. The success of directors is determined by their ability to coordinate these multiple players and create a cohesive performance.  

The adjectives that describe a good director, are exactly the same adjectives we would use to describe the model leader. A good director embodies Aesthetic Intelligence and creates an Aesthetically Intelligent environment. A good director serves as a source of insight and inspiration for great leadership in any venue.

How do you serve as a ‘sensemaker’? A liaison? A synthesizer? What parallels do you see between your role as a leader, and a typical director?