Roit Feldenkreis - Orchestra Conductor

27/03/2025

So excited about this episode! Tune in on your favorite platform 🩵

✨ New Podcast Episode Alert

Can the subtle power of the conductor's baton unlock your leadership potential? Imagine standing before a hundred skilled musicians, not dictating, but inspiring them to create a harmonious masterpiece. In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B Hartwell interviews Roit Feldenkreis - Orchestra Conductor , internationally acclaimed conductor and performance coach. Roit is bringing those very principles of orchestral leadership to the corporate arena, transforming how executives communicate, build team cohesion, and perform under immense pressure through her groundbreaking Maestro Method. Did a childhood role as a "go-between" subtly shape her path to becoming a leader who bridges worlds – from the stage to the boardroom?

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://bit.ly/roit-feldenkreis

14/11/2024

Empathy is my . It’s not some feel-good quality; it’s the thing that lets me connect, lead, and get things done. By the word empathy, I mean understanding exactly where people are coming from and seeing things from their perspective. That’s what makes the difference in my work, whether I’m standing in front of an orchestra or coaching executives.

When I’m on the podium, empathy is a key tool in connecting with the orchestra. I’m not just listening to the music or watching the players; I’m tuning into each person in real time, picking up on who’s nervous, who’s completely focused, who doesn’t trust me yet. I know that for us to play well together, I must understand each musician as a person, not just as someone holding an instrument. That’s not about being “nice”; it’s about knowing how to get the best out of people by meeting them where they are and pushing them toward what they can become.

In coaching, empathy is even more crucial. People come to me expecting strategies, techniques, things they think will make them better leaders. But often, the thing they’re missing is real empathy—knowing how to understand and support the people on their teams. Executives sometimes think they don’t need it, but empathy is what allows you to make the right call, build real trust, and create a culture where people want to be. When people feel understood, they open up, they’re more creative, and they’re willing to go the extra mile. That’s where transformative leadership comes in.

One of my past coaching clients was a senior executive who was having a hard time connecting with his team. He was smart and driven but always focused on his goals without taking in their concerns. Through our work together, he learned to ask simple but powerful questions—about people’s motivations, their needs, their frustrations, which soon led to an improved team moral. By feeling seen and heard, they were able to come up with numerous creative solutions and ideas which helped the company grow extensively. By using empathy, he didn’t just manage his team; he got them to a place where they could excel.

Being empathic can be demanding, even uncomfortable at times. It means you can’t ignore what people are going through, but it doesn’t mean avoiding hard decisions. Sometimes, empathy means pushing someone harder because you can see what they’re capable of. It’s about being in tune enough to know when someone needs support and when they need a challenge. It’s understanding their limits and then helping them stretch beyond what they thought possible.

For me, empathy is what ties everything together. It’s what lets me walk into a room, really see people, and figure out what’s needed to bring out their best. It’s practical, direct, and honest, and it’s my greatest asset. Empathy is my superpower because it makes every interaction real and, therefore, is the basis of a great performance—on stage and off.

13/11/2024

When you’re dealing with numerous stressful tasks at a time, it can be extremely overwhelming. For most senior leaders this is a daily challenge as they are constantly expected to solve difficult problems.

Research shows that by narrowing our focus and implementing a form of “tunnel vision” for a short period of time, we can better focus on the task at hand and improve our performance significantly.

It doesn’t mean that we lose sight of the bigger picture, but that we consciously choose to put it aside for a certain amount of time in order to give our full attention to the current goal.

High performers such as athletes or musicians like myself, have known this for ages. There just isn’t enough emotional and mental energy to address everything at once. Make sure you prioritize your goals and focus on each one accordingly.

12/11/2024

When I step on stage, the orchestra reads my body language before I even raise the baton. If I’m calm and confident, they respond with focus and energy. If I'm not, they immediately look for a leader elsewhere.

The same exact thing happens to executives at the world's leading firms. Although how we carry ourselves in front of our team has a direct effect on the their performance, so many leaders ignore this issue in hopes that their knowledge and experience will suffice.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. When you're speaking to a client, when presenting a new strategy to the board, or giving out tasks to your team, your presence accounts for 80% of your message.

If you're not sure about it, just look at some of the world's most inspiring leaders, they all share that X factor, that carisma that they seem to have been born with.

Luckily, it's been proven without a doubt that these things can be taught, and that's one of the things we focus on in our 1-on-1 coaching sessions. A recent client shared her experience -

"The work I've done with Roit has completely boosted my confidence and improved my posture when presenting to the board. I have a much better cultural understanding so everything feels so much easier now!"

If you want some more insights on this subject, check out our article attached in the comments below.

14/10/2024

Innovation has become a buzzword in the business world. Every leader is expected to disrupt, reinvent, and change the world. But while the pressure to innovate is important, there’s a crucial question we often overlook: How can we learn to innovate without losing what already works?

Check out my new article and discover the key strategies:
https://www.bhz-group.com/.../how-to-innovate-without...

Share your thoughts with us!

30/09/2024

New blog post on my website! Can't wait to hear your thoughts 💜

Confidence isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you build. Discover 5 wats to master it when the pressure is on.

19/07/2024

Teamwork and Ego on the Stage

Conducting an orchestra is a lot like managing a team in the business world. Both require bringing together different talents and perspectives to create something special. Recently, I had an experience that showed this exact similarity.

We were preparing for a big concert, and our two soloists had very different ideas about how the piece should be played. Each of them was incredibly talented and passionate about their interpretation. The rehearsal room became quite tense as they each tried to convince the other (and the rest of us) that their way was the best.

As the conductor, I could have stepped in and made a decision about which interpretation to go with. On the one hand, it is my job to decide on the musical direction of the piece, but on the other, it’s customary to let the soloist (or soloists) lead the strategy in a piece that features them.

I decided to let the situation evolve naturally, in hopes that they will get to know each other and agree on a joint gameplan. Try to imagine the situation, these are super-experienced musicians, usually with a huge ego, that need to find a way to understand one another and myself included, all in 1-2 rehearsals. Add to the mix an entire orchestra who’s just sitting and waiting to see what the musical approach will be like, and also watching closely to see if the conductor, that’s me, can hold it together,
Oh, and let’s not forget, the concert takes place just a day or two after, with thousands of people in the audience. No second chances are given.

This is similar to what happens in many companies. When leading team members have conflicting ideas, a manager's first instinct might be to quickly resolve the conflict. But sometimes, that can lead to further challenges because these leaders must find a way to communicate with each other effectively on their own.
When it was finally time for the concert, the tension was still there. There was no love between the two soloists. They’ve managed to agree on some things in order to move forward, but everything was still quite unstable when we got up on the stage. I was really stressed about the situation and knew that we would all need to do our best under these circumstances.

Thankfully, we are all professionals. Each soloist brought their unique style to the music, and although some parts felt a little unsure, the result was a powerful and dynamic performance. The audience loved it, and the concert was a huge success.
This taught me an important lesson: allowing different perspectives to coexist, as hard as that is sometimes, can lead to extraordinary results. In a business setting, this means encouraging team members to bring their unique ideas to the table and not being afraid of a little creative tension.

Despite our success, I couldn't help but feel that we could have enjoyed the process more. The days leading up to the concert were stressful, and that stress took some of the joy out of our work. If we had found a way to connect and communicate better, the entire experience could have been more enjoyable for everyone involved.

In the corporate world, this is a crucial insight. Achieving goals is important, but despite having a professional team, it doesn’t just happen automatically. We all must learn to communicate better, to try and put our egos aside, and really see the person in front of us. This is one of the hardest things to do, especially when it’s someone that rubs us the wrong way.

As an orchestra conductor, every time I take the stage, I’m reminded that leadership is about more than just getting results. It's about transformation, about creating an environment where everyone can contribute their best and enjoy the journey. Whether you're leading a team of musicians like me or a team in the business world, the principles of teamwork, respect, and open communication are what we all need to achieve.

Are you an exceptional leader? Take this free quiz and find out 😍
https://roit-leyqx1te.scoreapp.com/