Early in our careers, it is natural to think, “If I were in charge, I would do things differently.”
A first-year music major may feel ready for a major audition. A new faculty member may feel confident about how they would run a department, a college, or even an entire university.
From the outside, leadership often appears straightforward. Problems look obvious. Solutions seem equally obvious.
Why not program different repertoire?
Why not restructure the curriculum?
Why not simply make the decision that seems best for the students?
Early in our careers, we see things clearly from the vantage point we occupy. We notice our own needs, frustrations, and ambitions. And those concerns are not unreasonable. Institutions should always be attentive to the people they serve.
But perspective changes over time.
As the years pass, it becomes easier to see the constraints that leaders navigate every day. Decisions that once looked simple turn out to sit at the intersection of competing responsibilities: enrollment realities, institutional mission, faculty needs, accreditation requirements, donor relationships, board expectations, and long-term sustainability.
A decision that satisfies one constituency may create difficulties for another. What appears inefficient from the outside may be the result of compromises that keep an entire system functioning.
This realization does not mean that institutions always make the right decisions. They often do not. Universities, orchestras, and arts organizations are human institutions, and human institutions are imperfect.
But experience can temper the early impulse to say, “I could do better.”
Over time, I have found it more valuable to be a thoughtful sounding board for the person in charge than to assume the role myself. Leadership is not simply about having ideas. It is about carrying responsibility for the consequences of those ideas across an entire community.
Responsibility changes perspective.
And sometimes the most useful contribution we can make is not taking the podium, but offering clarity and support to the person who already stands there.