Although there are tons of ways you could poke holes through what Lucado is suggesting in the above quote the fact is that most people will not know the context in which he spoke these words.
As such, most people will interpret this statement as meaning something to the effect of If you want to do something great you will have to turn your back on __________________ to get it done. You get to fill in the blank with who you think that “crowd” really is.
I think a more worthwhile and helpful idea is to focus on the orchestra – the ones that you lead, the ones that you’re dedicating your time to with instruction and guidance. The very ones that have entrusted themselves to you instead of the many other choices out there in the crowd.
It is the orchestra that one should focus deeply on – great leadership is found in the real execution of leadership over a few people, a staff, and perhaps an organization if they are good enough. The rest, the “crowd,” are consumers that get a taste or whiff (or the remaining scraps) of the true leadership that happens inside the walls where the orchestra and the maestro practice, sweat, and bleed for their craft.
Who is comprised of your orchestra? Who are you really leading? Mine is simple – my team at 8BIT is my orchestra at the moment. They are my squad of uniquely designed and created specialists who are masters of their craft. This isn’t a hierarchy either because without the orchestra the maestro couldn’t perform either. There’s an intimate and interdependent relationship that exists.
Sure, the man must turn his back on the crowd so to lead his team to do the great work that he was called to do but he does turn around when each movement is finished, to acknowledge and encourage the crowd and to say Thank you, thank you, thank you for being here.
