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Articles

Vol. 17 (2004 Winter)

Hearing the Opus: The Paradox for Women Leaders in the Postmodern University

  • Elizabeth Ritt
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21423/awlj-v16.a188
Submitted
June 19, 2017
Published
2017-06-12

Abstract

Leading in an organization is much like conducting an orchestra. The conductor must stay one full beat ahead of the orchestra, envisioning the whole opus as it is to be played while keeping a keen ear to the ongoing performance. Filled with unpredictability and contradiction, the musical interpretation of the opus flows through our bodies with great intensity. Sometimes the inclination is to reduce the composition and the performance into distinct parts to better understand the intent of composer, conductor and musicians. Often, this deludes us into the romantic notion that we can reduce the opus into discrete components that explain the unexplainable.