Be a trustee of time
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
10h ago
I loved hearing in a conversation that a leader's job is "to be a trustee of others' time." It's simple and pretty obvious, but painfully transparent when put into those words. Musicians trust conductors and arts leaders with their time. Even if they don't actively think it or say it out loud, that's what's happening.  At rehearsals and performances, they want to have a meaningful, worthwhile, and enjoyable time. The expectation is that their time will be respected and not wasted. When that is not the case, resentment and frustration naturally start to build.  How can we evaluate ..read more
Visit website
What is your audition style?
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
1w ago
One of my biggest secrets is that I've only ever won one job in my life. And it was a huge blow when I found out later that I was only chosen because they really didn't want the other person, so they went with me and hoped there was nothing wrong with me. Not flattering, not confidence-inducing, and not what I needed to hear. Just when I thought I did things "right" to get the job, it turns out I didn't.  After 15 years of job searches, I often ask myself, "What am I doing wrong?" I never seem to be able to put my best foot forward artistically or say the right things personally. I'd be ..read more
Visit website
You're doing the work
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
3w ago
Early in my writing this blog, a colleague and friend gave me some feedback. She said that she finds it annoying when I pose questions and don’t answer them in a post. It was valid feedback and well-intentioned. I can see where she was coming from, how my open-ended approach can elicit discomfort from not having answers and concrete advice.  If she was thinking this, I’m sure lots of people are thinking it as well. So I tried to make adjustments. I started writing more posts with lists, such as 5 ways to do this or 4 tips for that. While it was helpful, it wasn’t a perfect fit for me. (I ..read more
Visit website
Our rotating boss system
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
1M ago
There's a popular saying that people don't quit their jobs; they quit their bosses.  According to this Gallup article, "One in two employees have left a job to get away from a manager and improve their overall life at some point in their career, according to Gallup's State of the American Manager report." A great job can feel like a terrible one when a bad boss is involved. This can look like unnecessary stress or fear, feeling undervalued or undermined, and running into dead ends. An employee's relationship with their boss can be vital for both their career success and well-being.  ..read more
Visit website
Vulnerability is leadership
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
1M ago
One of the weird things I secretly do is keep tabs on when people I admire say that they feel defeated.  They reveal that they don't know what they're doing, they have doubts, or they're scared. I'll share two of these examples (a musical one and a non-musical one): A few years ago, I was sitting backstage before going on to conduct the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos. One of the pianists was Alvin Chow, someone I've known and respected for almost two decades. Alvin shared that he's nervous. He said he always feels nervous, every single time before going on stage, and that it never goes ..read more
Visit website
I just can't wait
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
1M ago
A few weeks ago, I had a quick conversation with a brick mason called Brendan, who was doing a bit of work outside my building. It's a conversation I will never forget for the rest of my life. It was 5 pm and I was his last job of the day. His first was at 7 am that morning. I said it must be hard to start so early in the day and have such a long day.  I was blown away by his response.  Brendan shared that he wakes up before the sun rises and can't wait for it to come up. When the sun rises, that means he can start working. Everyday, he just can't wait to see the sun. He can ..read more
Visit website
Rehearsals can be less boring
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
2M ago
Patrick Lencioni compares meetings with movies in his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. He posed the first question: How many would rather go to a movie than a meeting? We'd probably all choose the movie. He then posed the second question: Why do we hate meetings? The answer is: They're boring. I'm curious what happens when we substitute "meetings" with "rehearsals" for these two questions. Well, we'd probably also choose the movie. And I've heard a lot of musicians say that rehearsals can be boring. Lencioni explains why we'd choose the movie: "Every great movie has conflict. Without ..read more
Visit website
Building capacity in people
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
2M ago
A leader's ability to build capacity in people is capped by their own capacity. Wow…I found this to be a profound statement. It's perhaps the strongest endorsement for bettering ourselves as leaders.  So, what does it mean to build capacity? Here are three possible ways that come to mind: 1. See where people are and where they can go. Recognize what they are able to achieve now artistically, and imagine so clearly where they could be a year from now. Or 5 years from now. Or even after 3 rehearsals. At a particular point in the future, we can ask: what would they be able to do more of ..read more
Visit website
Avoiding certainty
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
2M ago
Avoid certainty about what your future is going to be. I heard this thought here, and it made me think about how we are bound by the certainty we expect of our future. This can occur personally, professionally, or at an organizational level.  When we expect certainty, we have our eyes on the prize. This can also limit what we see. We focus on making it happen. This can also make us neglect other important things. We don't settle for anything less. We also don't tend to imagine what more would look like. It can be all or nothing. This can feel like a failure when our reality doesn't end u ..read more
Visit website
Conflict is information
Conductor as CEO Blog
by Tiffany Chang
2M ago
It is impossible to not have conflicts in work and life.  When it happens, it's so tempting to go into either defense or avoidance mode. It makes sense that we want to defend and protect our perspective. And avoiding conflict allows us to procrastinate facing a problem. So it's sometimes easier to just not engage.  Neither really works. The stress from playing defense is unhelpful and blinding. Avoidance makes us complacent and stops us from speaking up - for both leaders and the people they lead. I personally can sometimes see conflict as an impasse or as something I need to fix ..read more
Visit website

Follow Conductor as CEO Blog on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR