This conductor and professor -- a champion in building community in both his orchestra and his classroom -- showed attendees how his philosophy contributes to inspired teaching, conflict resolution, and leadership.

One of the messages he communicated was that everything is invented -- that we make assumptions about everything we experience. Once we make these initial assumptions, however, Benjamin Zander asks us not to react until we create a response that opens us up to other choices -- other outcomes. Living this process leads Benjamin Zander to his belief in the universe of possibility.

To illustrate the point, Benjamin told the story of a shoe factory that sent two marketing scouts to Africa to study whether to expand the business there. One sent a message back saying, The situation hopeless. Stop. No one wears shoes. The other communicated, Glorious business opportunity. Stop. They have no shoes. The second message resonates with a Benjamin Zander kind of possibility.

As he taught us to think in new ways -- to honor those in shared efforts with diverse abilities and to creatively solve complex problems -- my mind returned to the e-mail that I received on March 16th informing me that Michael Moran of the Center for the Arts -- Natick (TCAN) had been severed (in the board member's words) from his role as executive director.

Talents of all kinds are required to birth an organization in any community -- a talented, passionate, and creative leader is usually a necessary ingredient for success. Collaborative projects of all kinds are certainly not easy to build, but like the democratic process, are worth every effort in the building. In order to birth The Center for the Arts in Natick, a diverse group of volunteers, supporters, performers, members, donors, and community partners needed to be nurtured and inspired -- in the spirit of Ben Zander's message.

A passionate activist and a creative and progressive leader is required to gather the untold numbers of supporters to accomplish the amazing things a new organization needs to accomplish in order to achieve success. Sometimes in this process conflicts arise early in the effort and must be attended to in a careful manner. After all, a variety of skills are required to bring a grass roots political effort -- like TCAN -- toward the first glimmering of a more solid and permanent institution.

Now is much, much too soon to sever a founder from this effort. The renovated Firehouse on Summer Street has only recently been dedicated. Further, when and if a founder does leave, he must be honored for the considerable contribution he has made and not severed. As a lay historian and passionate observer of institutional culture, I know this to be true.

It is sincerely unfortunate -- in the arts of all disciplines -- and within the TCAN board of directors in particular -- that a spirit of collaboration and mediation could not have been fostered. The arts have always been an area in which differences in skills -- whether these differences are art-related or inherent in personal styles -- have been celebrated, or at least honored.

A Donald Trump you are fired approach is totally inconsistent with the culture in most arts communities (although, unfortunately, perhaps not in other organizations or businesses.)

In the symposium this week, Ben Zander said that what we do is enhanced (or destroyed -- in my words) in HOW we do it. Zander's art of possibility can create amazing opportunities for conflict resolution. (Where in the world is Benjamin Zander when you need him?)

What Natick had in the newly renovated firehouse on Summer Street was unique, spirited, and from my vantage point -- ultimately effective. Frankly, the leadership provided by Michael Moran got the board of directors there, and many of us who observed were frankly somewhat envious, I confess, and wished the same for our own communities. Michael is not only an inspiration to TCAN's volunteers, but also to those in other communities who are trying to accomplish similar goals through grass roots advocacy. Healthier communities result from such inspired efforts.

Leaders and board members with collaborative and effective leadership skills search for common ground. May the board of TCAN find its way to better and more effective decision-making. The survival of TCAN will certainly depend on it.

One way to do this would be to call Michael back, swallow a whole lot of pride, work through differences in the style of true supporters of the creative process that the arts have traditionally stood for, and engage someone with the mediation skills exemplified by Benjamin Zander. Then, work hard in the style of truly evolved adults.

Once there, get down to the REAL work that TCAN needs to do to enrich the MetroWest community through the arts. (Most of our children are indeed watching adults cope with such high profile, front-page problems.) The TCAN board of directors and severed executive director Michael Moran have the rare opportunity to indeed prove, unequivocally, that each of them are TRULY capable of doing amazing things.