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About this Episode:

In this episode of The Transformative Leader Podcast, I am thrilled to bring you an interview with Roger Nierenberg about the leadership lessons he has gleaned from his decades as a distinguished orchestral conductor. In this fascinating and surprising conversation, Maestro Nierenberg eloquently explains how and why his work with The Music Paradigm has been so much more effective than traditional training, in conveying both the practices and mindset necessary to succeed as a Transformative Leader.

As a kindred spirit when it comes to understanding leadership and culture, he acknowledges that many of the most important principles of effective leadership can’t simply be explained with words, but rather must be demonstrated or performed to truly make a difference. He explains that one premise of his unique leadership development method is that, because music is naturally dynamic and experimental, it provides an excellent “staging ground“ to apply, learn from, and revise leadership approaches in real time. Additionally, because it is not traditional training in the sense of someone just delivering a lecture, this approach also emphasizes that what leaders “say“ with their attitude or their way of being is just as important, if not more so, than what they say with their words. These are just a few of the many insights that Maestro Nierenberg shares with the audience.

The Music Paradigm, created by Nierenberg, has brought him to the podium of The London Philharmonic, The Residentie Orkest, The New Zealand Symphony, The National Symphony, the symphony orchestras of Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Baltimore. It is a powerful learning experience that uses symphonic music to illuminate compelling insights about people at work. Participants are seated directly amongst the orchestra musicians where they gain fresh understandings about the opportunities and challenges faced by their own organization. Over the past twenty years, Nierenberg has presented to hundreds of different organizations, from civic groups to Fortune 500 companies, in two dozen different countries.

Guest Links:

To learn more, visit The Music Paradigm, check out videos of performances, read an NYT article on the program, and read Roger’s blog. You can also purchase his book, Maestro: A Surprising Story About Leading by Listening, wherever books are sold. You can also connect with Roger on LinkedIn here: @rogernierenberg.

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