Like most of us in economic development, our schedules change to respond to the needs of our communities and to the busy schedules of prospective business and industry. Such was the case on Saturday as I had the opportunity to again present our community. So, I was ready for a diversion as my wife and I attended the Nashville Symphony performance on Saturday night.
While enjoying the performance, I was thinking (daydreaming, really — symphony time is such great daydreaming time for me….) how much the conductor is like the economic developer. No matter how much preparation and rehearsal time there might be, he (or she) steps out front, turns his vulnerable back to the crowd, and puts his success into the hands of many diverse players. No matter how frantically or cajoling he waves that baton, the end product is ultimately dependant on the performance of others. Sure, he takes that first bow, but then relinquishes the accolades to the collaborative group.
