The Marines have a mnemonic for it:

JBWICK - Judgment, Bearing, Willpower, Integrity, Courage, Knowledge.

I doubt they are referring specifically to qualities they most admire in a conductor but these requirements that they have for leadership can probably be applied to almost any walk of life. Some conductors possess them in such abundance that orchestras are only too happy to take care of more musical issues themselves, whilst others are such infectious natural musicians that an absence of leadership skills can often go unnoticed.

Henry Ford said that 'asking who ought to be the boss, is like asking who ought to be the tenor in the quartet? Obviously, the man who can sing tenor.' He suggests that leadership is a skill in its own right. But that was a hundred years ago and today it is perhaps a mistake to think of leadership as something that should befall just one individual. I'm sure every marine is taught to be a leader of some kind and you often hear sports coaches speaking of how they want all their players to be leaders on the pitch. In music, the best experiences are ones where each member of the orchestra is able to take ownership of the performance and responsibility for their own contribution. If conductors are able to trust them to do that, and if players can trust themselves and their fellow musicians to respond, the music-making feels as free as a flock of starlings who pattern the sky with such effortless conviction and seemingly invisible leadership.

In The Art of War, Sun-Tzu came up with a similar list to the Marines, albeit with the additions of  'compassion' and 'severity'. Compassion will never go amiss, but in the music world the legendary stories of severe and ruthless maestros are thankfully pretty much things of the past. Society has moved on. Leadership now requires a more collaborative approach. Healthier for sure, but possibly more challenging too.

Like most in leadership positions, conductors get their perceived power from making other people powerful. After all, it's not as if we make any sounds ourselves. You cannot force someone to do anything they do not want to do. And even if you could, it wouldn't sound that convincing. At its best, leadership is more about enlightening than dominating. Orchestras nowadays vary in what they want. Some like to be told exactly what to do, others desire more freedom. Many want their leader to be approachable, plenty want to be able to keep their distance. And there are probably just as many who want their conductor to be 'everyman', as there are who seek something more unusual. Knowing how different individuals need to be led is I suspect, the ultimate key to succeeding as a leader in the first place. I've no idea how the conductor of a Marines Band would fare in interpreting a Mahler symphony, but I bet the players would always feel that they were having the best brought out of them!

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