Lincoln Center's Reynold Levy Shares What He Would Have Done Differently
The author of "They Told Me Not to Take That Job" on horrible bosses and people.
— -- Being the host to venerable institutions like the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera House and New York City Ballet sounds like one of the most glamorous jobs in the world. But when Reynold Levy became the president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in March 2002, many warned him that the job would be an endless battle of warring factions and impossible egos.
By the time Levy, now 70, became president, Lincoln Center was in a state of disarray, with a former president who resigned in less than a year, a philharmonic orchestra that was planning to jump ship to Carnegie Hall and disagreement over a $1 billion redevelopment plan.
The author of "They Told Me Not to Take That Job: Tumult, Betrayal and the Transformation of Lincoln Center," released today, shares how his dozen years at the cultural icon, until Jan. 31, 2014, tested his skills set nearly as much as when he was president of the International Rescue Committee and dealing with global politics.
"Work shouldn't be viewed as fraternities or sororities," Levy said. "It’s great if you can find friends at work, but please don’t expect it."
True friendships that start at work and can outlast one's stint at a job are "very hard to come by in the workplace," he said. Still, Levy said he's "amazed" at the number of friendships he's enjoyed through his career, Lincoln Center included, that even include monthly dinners with former "work friends."
Here's Levy's advice and lessons from his career experiences that he shared with ABC News' C-Suite Insider:
1. What's your best piece of advice for working with a horrible boss or difficult person?
"The first piece of advice is to understand their biography," Levy said.
Levy said sometimes difficult behavior is a sign of a boss' insecurity, nervousness or a lack of confidence. Once you're sensitive to that, you could change how you approach your boss, such as approaching them behind closed doors, or not in a group.
"You might keep your voice low so it doesn’t seem intimidating. You might communicate more in writing and a little less orally or in group form," he said.
His second piece of advice is to avoid dismissing a point of view because of the way it's expressed or the personality of the person offering it.
"If the person speaking to you feels you are really trying to absorb it, ask for illustrations of what you’re saying, you’ll pick up a lot substantively of what they’re offering you," Levy said. "But you’re also showing them a sign of respect. When you treat people based upon their behavior based o views, rather than personalities, that’s best."
2. As a self-described "kid from Brooklyn," your educational and career experiences are extremely varied. What would you have done differently in, say, your 20s, that you would give as advice to someone that age?
Levy said he advises his graduate students at Columbia to do the "exact opposite" of Levy's educational trajectory.
"What I did was get a Bachelor's, Master's, Ph.D. and law degree nonstop after college," Levy said. "I did not take a gap year or travel. I encourage those at that age to go to work and experience the world or parts of it and give yourself some time to think about whether you really want to go to law school, whether you really do want to get a graduate degree."
3. What career advice would you give to someone in their 30s?
"Don’t narrow your network. Keep in touch with those whom you encountered in your 20s and whom you highly value," Levy said. "Continue to travel, read wisely and continue to expand your network. Continue to imagine yourself playing different roles...and it will keep you open should the particular job you’re in not work."
Levy said many people in their 30s tend to "close themselves off" as they think about starting families or taking care of their aging parents.
4. What do you think of the state of "the arts" in the U.S.?
Levy said he's "very upbeat" about the start of the arts in the country.
"I’ve heard it since I was 20 years old: 'An art form is dying,' or 'the audience is aging.' That doesn’t concern me at all," Levy said, pointing to the emergency of new arts and music festivals around the country, from Vail, Colorado or Asheville, North Carolina.
"If the art is of extraordinary high quality and the institution does its best to make its ticket available to students and to others with greater accessibility, houses will fill up," he said.
