--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great myth is the manager as…" description: "\"The great myth is the manager as orchestra conductor. It's this idea of standing on a pedestal and you wave your baton and accounting comes in, and you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b0/henry-mintzberg-10810_accounting_the-great-myth-is-the-manager-as-orchest_1239753.png" --- # The great myth is the manager as orchestra conductor. It's… ![“The great myth is the manager as orchestra conductor. It's this idea of standing on a pedestal and you wave your baton and accounting comes in, and you wave it somewhere else and marketing chimes in with accounting, and they all sound very glorious. But management is more like orchestra conducting…” quote by Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b0/henry-mintzberg-10810_accounting_the-great-myth-is-the-manager-as-orchest_1239753.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b0/henry-mintzberg-10810_accounting_the-great-myth-is-the-manager-as-orchest_1239753.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b0/henry-mintzberg-10810_accounting_the-great-myth-is-the-manager-as-orchest_1239753.png) > “The great myth is the manager as orchestra conductor. It's this idea of standing on a pedestal and you wave your baton and accounting comes in, and you wave it somewhere else and marketing chimes in with accounting, and they all sound very glorious. But management is more like orchestra conducting during rehearsals, when everything is going wrong.” [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Management is chaotic rehearsal, not a flawless performance. **In simple terms:** Managers juggle problems constantly Key Takeaway Embrace flexibility and problem‑solving in leadership Themes management chaos leadership Mood realistic pragmatic Type advice analytical When to use this quote - team meetings - crisis response - process improvement Key Concepts systems thinking organizational behavior Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle unexpected setbacks? - What practices keep your team adaptable? A Different Perspective Idealized conductor image can mislead expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conductor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conductor/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Orchestra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orchestra/) [Rehearsal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rehearsal/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) ## Related quotes > [Great cataclysmic things can go by and neither the orchestra nor the conductor are under the delusion that whether they make this or that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-levine/great-cataclysmic-things-can-go-by-and-neither-the-orchestra-nor-the/) [James Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-levine/) > [ I, uh...I have a television, so I'm going to spend some time here to tell you some things. \[To orchestra conductor:\] And, and...and sir,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-roberts/i-uh-i-have-a-television-so-i-m-going-to-spend-some-time-here-to-tell/) [Julia Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-roberts/) > [The tears, when they come to some men, are worse than beatings. They're wounded worse by sobbing, men like that, than they are by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/the-tears-when-they-come-to-some-men-are-worse-than-beatings-they-re/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [“He speaks with this tone like he owns things, but we know that even the baton stick in his hands is not his, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noviolet-bulawayo/he-speaks-with-this-tone-like-he-owns-things-but-we-know-that-even/) [NoViolet Bulawayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noviolet-bulawayo/) > [The result of the revolution in Germany has been to establish a democracy in the best sense of the word. We are steering towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-result-of-the-revolution-in-germany-has-been-to-establish-a/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Every French soldier carriers a marshal's baton in his knapsack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/every-french-soldier-carriers-a-marshal-s-baton-in-his-knapsack/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“If You Respect Their Preparation, You never Drop the Baton”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vineet-raj-kapoor/if-you-respect-their-preparation-you-never-drop-the-baton/) [Vineet Raj Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vineet-raj-kapoor/) > [There's a case in Baton Rouge, haunting me, where a mother left her twelve-year-old daughter to be babysat (every day for months) by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mullen/there-s-a-case-in-baton-rouge-haunting-me-where-a-mother-left-her/) [Laura Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mullen/) > [The only weapons I ever had were my cello and my baton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-casals/the-only-weapons-i-ever-had-were-my-cello-and-my-baton/) [Pablo Casals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-casals/) > [No ladder needs the bird but skies To situate its wings, Nor any leaders grim baton Arraigns it as it sings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/no-ladder-needs-the-bird-but-skies-to-situate-its-wings-nor-any/) [Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/) > [I absolutely love doing games in Baton Rouge. Night games in Tiger Stadium are a spectacle and the food choices all around are fantastic!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-blackledge/i-absolutely-love-doing-games-in-baton-rouge-night-games-in-tiger/) [Todd Blackledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-blackledge/) > [President Obama has brought this country back economically so far from where we were when he took office, and Hillary Clinton is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-castro/president-obama-has-brought-this-country-back-economically-so-far/) [Joaquin Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-castro/) > [PRIVATE, n. A military gentleman with a field-marshal's baton in his knapsack and an impediment in his hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/private-n-a-military-gentleman-with-a-field-marshal-s-baton-in-his/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [I acted in 'Oomakkuyil' under Balu Mahendra's baton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/y-g-mahendran/i-acted-in-oomakkuyil-under-balu-mahendra-s-baton/) [Y. G. Mahendran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/y-g-mahendran/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) ## More by Henry Mintzberg > [Everyone is against micro managing but macro managing means you're working at the big picture but don't know the details.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/everyone-is-against-micro-managing-but-macro-managing-means-you-re/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [To 'turn around' is to end up facing the same way. Maybe that is the problem, all the turning organizations around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/to-turn-around-is-to-end-up-facing-the-same-way-maybe-that-is-the/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [Never set out to be the best. It's too low a standard. Set out to be good. Do Your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/never-set-out-to-be-the-best-it-s-too-low-a-standard-set-out-to-be/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [“being a manager’ means not merely assuming a position of authority but also becoming more dependent on others,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/being-a-manager-means-not-merely-assuming-a-position-of-authority-but/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [Basically, managing is about influencing action. Managing is about helping organizations and units to get things done, which means action. 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Engagement is what managers do with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/empowerment-is-what-managers-do-to-people-engagement-is-what-managers/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [“A good part of the work of managing involves doing what specialists do, but in particular ways that make use of the manager’s special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/a-good-part-of-the-work-of-managing-involves-doing-what-specialists/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [Why does every generation have to think that he lives in the period with the greatest turbulence?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/why-does-every-generation-have-to-think-that-he-lives-in-the-period/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [Management is a curious phenomenon. It is generously paid, enormously influential, and significantly devoid of common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/management-is-a-curious-phenomenon-it-is-generously-paid-enormously/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [So technologies, whether it is a telephone or an iPhone, computers in general or automobiles, television even, all individualize us. We all sit in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/so-technologies-whether-it-is-a-telephone-or-an-iphone-computers-in/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [Data don't generate theory - only researchers do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/data-don-t-generate-theory-only-researchers-do-that/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [Effective managing therefore happens where art , craft, and science meet. But in a classroom of students without managerial experience, these have no place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/effective-managing-therefore-happens-where-art-craft-and-science-meet/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [Corporations are social institutions. If they don't serve society, they have no business existing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/corporations-are-social-institutions-if-they-don-t-serve-society-they/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [Corporations are economic entities, to be sure, but they are also social institutions that must justify their existence by their overall contribution to society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/corporations-are-economic-entities-to-be-sure-but-they-are-also/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) [Explore all 63 Henry Mintzberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) ## More Accounting quotes > [We do not know enough about how the present will lead into the future. We shall never be able to say, "Ha! My perception,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/we-do-not-know-enough-about-how-the-present-will-lead-into-the-future/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [“Outer happiness has Diminishing Marginal Utility; the more it grows, the satisfaction decreases. Resort to inner happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/outer-happiness-has-diminishing-marginal-utility-the-more-it-grows/) [Vikrmn: CA Vikram Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/) > [Regulations for international accounting and funding will have to be examined to identify policies that inadvertently discourage institutional investors from putting their resources into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-angel-gurria/regulations-for-international-accounting-and-funding-will-have-to-be/) [Jose Angel Gurria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-angel-gurria/) > [There is no business like show business. There is also no business like certified public accounting, but that doesn't rhyme as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-shaw-gardner/there-is-no-business-like-show-business-there-is-also-no-business/) Craig Shaw Gardner > [“With great goals, comes the high costs; both fixed and variable. Time is the fixed cost; efforts, variable. Spend passionately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/with-great-goals-comes-the-high-costs-both-fixed-and-variable-time-is/) [Vikrmn: CA Vikram Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/) > [The reaction of weak management to weak operations is often weak accounting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-reaction-of-weak-management-to-weak-operations-is-often-weak/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [“Financial statements are my novels, I am a Chartered Accountant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/financial-statements-are-my-novels-i-am-a-chartered-accountant/) [Vikrmn: CA Vikram Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/) > [The religious hypothesis, therefore, must be considered only as a particular method of accounting for the visible phenomena of the universe: but no just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-religious-hypothesis-therefore-must-be-considered-only-as-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Accounting consequences do not influence our operating or capital-allocation decisions. When acquisition costs are similar, we much prefer to purchase $2 of earnings that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/accounting-consequences-do-not-influence-our-operating-or-capital/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-w-nimitz/by-their-victory-the-3rd-4th-and-5th-marine-divisions-and-other-units/) [Chester W. Nimitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-w-nimitz/) > [“Invest in self-improvement, be it for learning, be it for earning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/invest-in-self-improvement-be-it-for-learning-be-it-for-earning/) [Vikrmn: CA Vikram Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/) > [“In the race to scale a startup, overlooking financial planning is like to building a skyscraper on shaky ground. True growth stems from decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-hishmeh/in-the-race-to-scale-a-startup-overlooking-financial-planning-is-like/) Jason Hishmeh > [One of the things that we're missing from our political dialogue right now is the idea that the United States is a home. 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