During intermission of the Metropolitan Opera’s April 28th performance of Carmen, Margaret Juntwait interviewed composer Marvin Hamlisch (most famous for his Broadway classic, A Chorus Line). Hamlisch commented that in Acts I & II of the opera that night, the conductor and orchestra had truly found the RIGHT tempo. He went on to explain the nuanced sense of tempo he was describing: they had found that particular evening’s tempo! It was a perfect balance of energy, synchronicity and motion that created many magical musical moments that night. The conductor that can achieve this “perfect” tempo has balanced the musical notation on the page, the specific capabilities, aptitudes and energy of the performers, and even the vibe of the audience. THAT is when musical magic occurs.

Analogous is the CEO who is “in the zone”. She has learned to do the same thing: balancing resources, team strengths, attitudes and aptitudes, and customer motivations to create truly remarkable results.

Have you found your company’s RIGHT tempo?

By Andrew Ranson