New book Review on Amazon. Maestro: A Surprising Story About Leading by Listening.
I love this book. It inspired me and gave me some great ideas about how to approach bringing an organization together. The story is a fictional encounter between a Maestro (orchestra conductor) and a business executive who use the metaphor of conducting the orchestra to discuss leadership. The twist in this book is that the executive learns experientially by sitting or standing at different locations in the orchestra during rehearsals. He hears the instructions from the Maestro and then hears the changes in the music.

The messages are reminiscent of many leadership books and focus on the helping the individual bring their best self to the group so that the group. The language, however, cuts across the usual leadership language and engages the reader in musical dynamic. What does happen, for example, when we all listen to the oboe and play so that the oboe can be heard? What happens when we all chose to blend our individual talent with those around us? How does the world change when the music become more important than my performance as an individual?
The book is an easy, short and sweet read. It would be great to teams to read, or to use in a class on training teams. There is a link to the author’s website, who is a Maestro. I do not know what he charges to conduct for his workshops, but after reading this book I know that I would love to attend one.