Author:Itay Talgam
In The Ignorant Maestro, Symphony Orchestra conductor Itay Talgam reveals the art of successful leadership by looking at the world's greatest conductors
A conductor in front of his orchestrais an iconic symbol of leadership. But what does a maestro actually do to ensure cooperation, harmony and a flawless performance?
The key is to embrace ignorance.
For twenty years, orchestra conductor Itay Talgam has drawn on his experience on the podium to teach non-musicians the art of leading like a conductor - from CEOs to entrepreneurs, politicians to schoolteachers. In The Ignorant Maestro, he brings that art to leaders everywhere.
Turning to six of the most iconic conductors as examples, from the dictatorial Muti to Bernstein, the master of dialogue, Talgam's anecdotes and insights will change the way you think about listening, humility and the path to unpredictable brilliance. They will equip you for exceptional leadership. And they will empower you to lead your team to greater harmony.
Will get you thinking, regardless of what you know about conducting or leadership
—— Management TodayAs we make our way up the ranks, we become less connected to the front lines and may often know less than we feel comfortable admitting. Itay Talgam encourages us to open our minds and shows us that our ignorance can be our greatest advantage
—— Simon Sinek, optimist and author of Start with Why and Leaders Eat LastTalgam inspires us to think beyond leadership dogma and for the first time learn to truly listen
—— Nir Eyal, author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming ProductsA great conductor stands alone in front of an orchestra, but knows that it is the collective genius of the group that creates something incredible. In this book, Itay Talgam reveals the counterintuitive lessons that business leaders can learn from world-famous conductors about empowering organizations and audiences
—— Ryan Holiday, author of Obstacle is the WayMusic is magic and Itay Talgam's book lets us stand beside him to revel in that magic in leadership, and life
—— David Marquet, author of Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into LeadersAn enthralling portrait of some of music's most fascinating conductors that serves as a vehicle for a remarkably thoughtful study of leadership. No musical experience needed - Itay Talgam brings the baton wielding personalities to life and the lessons ring clear
—— General Stanley McChrystal, author of Team of TeamsItay uses his knowledge of leading an orchestra to provide unique insight into business leadership ... When Itay speaks of the orchestra--conductors, players, and orchestral dynamics--his perspectives translate beautifully to the business world
—— Anne Loehr , Huffington PostClosely reported and brilliantly written … highly entertaining… Exemplary in its clarity… this story is full of surprises as well
—— Steven Poole , GuardianThis is the definitive history of a media revolution… I was hooked late into the night… There are lots of big lessons here… it is the story of all creative industries, and in the end, the internet itself
—— Hugo Rifkind , The TimesYou need to get hold of Stephen Witt's jaundiced, whip-smart, superbly reported and indispensable How Music Got Free
—— Washington PostFascinating… An engrossing story… surely the year's most important music book
—— IndependentAstonishing
—— GuardianEnthralling
—— Sunday TimesAn accomplished first book… So compelling
—— EconomistLucid, page-turning, engaging… A cross between a nail-biting true-crime story and the type of blow-by-blow books penned by Bob Woodward… Deeply sourced and dramatic
—— Scott Timberg , Literary ReviewWitt's first book has great strengths — primarily that he is a natural storyteller, with an eye for character and the ability to digest large amounts of technical detail, and turn it into a colourful tale
—— Financial TimesScorching investigative history of how the music industry found itself staring catastrophe in the face... Full of colourful characters... Essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of our creative industries
—— The BooksellerThis is a riveting account of greed, huge characters and the collapse of a kind of empire, and will be the benchmark by which future books are judged
—— Jamie Atkins, 4 stars , Record CollectorThe richest explanation to date about how the arrival of the MP3 upended almost everything about how music is distributed, consumed and stored
—— Dwight Garner , New York TimesA rare thing… Compulsively readable
—— Andrew Orlowski , RegisterDefinitive exploration of the turmoil the music industry has experiences in the last 20 years
—— Daily MailA surprisingly engaging guide
—— Rachel Farrow , UK Press SyndicationRemarkable
—— Ed Power , Irish IndependentHats off to Witt…because the book he’s delivered is sensational: lucid, informative, breathlessly exciting, with the pounding narrative tempo of a first-class thriller
—— Allan Jones , UncutWitt brings the many-layered tale to vibrant life
—— Andrew Hill , Financial TimesWitt’s sharp prose and pace grips... His narrative hurtles like a thriller toward the “sin cleansing” development of iTunes and the profit shift from recorded to live music. It is – in both senses – a ripping yarn
—— Helen Brown , TelegraphOne of the most gripping investigative books of the year - my mind reels at who will play Glover in the inevitable movie adaptation
—— Zach Sokol , Vice UKAn exhaustive and entertaining account of how digital music piracy started, what effect it had on the industry and who was involved
—— Andrew Williams , MetroJaundiced, whip-smart, superbly reported and indispensable
—— Louis Bayard , Guardian WeeklyBrilliant… Witt's account is every bit as riveting as a thriller… Required reading for anybody interested in how we came to consume music today
—— John Meagher , Irish IndependentIt’s a truly terrific read. Thoughtful, compelling, action-packed (surprisingly), utterly robust and guaranteed to be one of those nonfictions you rip through as if it was a novel by your favourite author
—— BookmunchExcellent
—— Sonny Bunch , Miami HeraldA terrific tale of music piracy at the dawn of the digital era
—— Helen Brown , Daily TelegraphThe collapse of the music industry, thanks to the emergence of the internet and illegal downloading, is told here with all the urgency and colour of a thriller
—— Louis Wise , Sunday TimesWitt tells the captivating and tense story of how the digital music revolution transformed the music industry, and made criminals out of many of us. Read it to learn all about a landmark moment in music and technology that still affects us today.
—— Isaac Fitzgerald , BuzzfeedHis book is a tour de force, delving into the criminal underworld of hackers and pilferers as well as the complacent corporate boardroom
—— Lionel Barber , Financial TimesA must-read. It flows like a captivating novel.
—— Mohamed El Erian , The NationalA terrific book… Rich and fascinating.
—— Waitrose WeekendPage-turner about how piracy nearly destroyed the established music industry.
—— Andrew Hill , Financial TimesA great read.
—— DisruptsBrilliant.
—— Hugo Rifkind , The TimesWitt skillfully and thoroughly documents this “warez” scene of file sharers… Absolutely enthralling, and occasionally cinematic.
—— Jon Fine , Strategy + BusinessBeautifully told.
—— William Leith , Evening Standard