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ITAY TALGAM is a renowned orchestral conductor from Israel who believes that the orchestra is a metaphor for the workplace. The conductor has the opportunity and possibility to create an organised collective sound from the untidy noise of a diverse ensemble of individual musical instruments with the nuance of a single gesture, writes ELAINE BYRNE

Talgam demonstrates the unique styles of six great 20th-century conductors, illustrating fundamental lessons for all leaders (www.ted.com). In doing so, he explains how an orchestra’s conductor faces the ultimate leadership challenge: creating perfect harmony without saying a word. The conductor does this through intuitive listening and knowing how and when to give direction.