'No orchestral leaders before have had to deal with this much stress': ABO retreat for orchestra and concert hall managers

It’s been a tough 18 months for the people who run our orchestras and concert halls. Since the first national lockdown in March 2020 they have had to deal with a succession of cancelled concerts and postponements in the UK and abroad, an ever-growing financial loss, and an anxious workforce. And that’s not just the managers. They have cared deeply about the impact on their musicians, especially the freelancers whose earnings dried up overnight.

It is perhaps not recognised as much as it should be that the position of CEO is the loneliest job of all. Squeezed between the demands of their board and responsibility for their staff, they have also had to deal with the pressure of keeping their organisation afloat. No-one wants to be the leader who sees an organisation with a 100 years of history fail on their watch.

And the pressure goes on. Who knew, when the Prime Minister told us all to stay at home in March last year, that we would still be wrestling with Covid restrictions now. Added to which is Brexit, which has made the job of getting artists into the UK, and taking the orchestra on tour, that much harder.

All of this has tested their resilience. No orchestral leaders before have had to deal with this much stress. And I should know. As director of the ABO I too have felt the pressure bearing down on my shoulders. I have not had a proper break from work since March 2020, spending every day fighting to secure a viable future for our members, and helping them navigate the barriers thrown up by the double-whammy of Covid and Brexit, alongside ensuring the well-being of my staff and the organisation’s finances. And this has led to two bouts of stress-related illness.

Knowing that I needed help, and so did my members, the ABO decided it was time for a Leaders’ Retreat. We’ve run introductory courses for orchestra managers for many years, and have our successful Find Your Way programme for aspiring leaders, but never before have we provided an opportunity to invest in training for the CEO.

So it was that 11 leaders of orchestras and concert halls gathered in Snape Maltings in early September, myself included, generously hosted by Roger Wright, CEO of Britten Pears Arts. And being in a rural location was deliberate. We needed to get our trainees well away from their desks, so they could focus on their wellbeing. With the help of experienced trainer Andy Beaumont, well known to members through our Find Your Way programme, we were able to focus on the tools needed to rebuild our resilience, and make us match fit for the new orchestral season. We looked at the behaviours that militate against resilience, and the replacement behaviours we need to adopt. We need to become more self-aware, look after our health and well-being, and build networks. We need to stay calm, be flexible, distribute leadership across the organisation, and make sure everyone works to a common purpose. We should ask for help, not be scared of failure, and see the bigger picture. And a good coach is invaluable.

Two days of Suffolk air and intense training has done us all a world of good. But that’s just 11 leaders that have benefited so far. We know there is demand from others for the same. So we are looking at repeating the course as soon as we can.

Back at my desk, I know of course that the workload hasn’t gone away. But at least I know I can face what remains an uncertain future in a more resilient frame of mind. And just maybe, finally, I will take a much-needed holiday.