Conductor Roger Nierenberg started off Chief Learning Officer Magazine’s Spring 2008 Symposium on a high note with a presentation that was music to the ears of event attendees — literally.
With more than 60 members of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra on hand, Nierenberg led the audience through an experiential program designed to explore the critical role of leadership in today’s increasingly complex and dynamic organizations. Orchestra musicians, seated throughout the audience with instruments in hand, played several classical pieces under Nierenberg’s direction.
The CLO Spring 2008 Symposium, titled “Orchestrating Change: Leading Organizations With Learning,” brought together more than 350 leaders in the learning industry for a three-day conference at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, Fla.
Using the orchestra as a metaphor for an organization, the conductor demonstrated the importance of leadership, illustrating the role a leader plays in orchestrating individual performances for maximum effectiveness. Nierenberg conducted several pieces, alternating the orchestra’s emphasis and approach for each musical segment to illustrate how the slightest change can significantly impact the overall performance.
Nierenberg invited event attendees to share their impressions on each performance, elicited musicians’ reactions to different conducting styles and brought selected audience members on stage to guest conduct and experience firsthand the central role the conductor plays in leading the orchestra. The presentation ended with a dramatic flair, with Nierenberg, surrounded by audience members on the stage leading the orchestra in a rousing musical finale.
