Leadership experience for executives, teams and organisations
Experience-based intense leadership development, using the power of music.
Real-time Leadership – Leading in Resonance
The Sound of Leadership® is an experience-based leadership system built on the power of music, showing leaders how their impact is created in the moment – immediate, authentic, and without theoretical detours.
We actively work with the many metaphors from music, ranging from the conductor as the leader of a high-performance team to open, respectful listening. You will also actively experience many idioms, such as "playing first fiddle" or "being on the same wavelength."
The learning architecture remains consistent across all concepts and settings: Experience – Awareness – Integration
When Leadership Becomes a Balancing Act:
Why Leaders Often Misjudge Their Impact
In complex, dynamic situations, immediate feedback is often missing. You act, but you don't truly know how your attitude, your gaze, or your words are received by your team. This uncertainty between intention and actual impact is widespread.
Even as young professional musicians, we experienced that it is not the notes that make the music, but the people behind them. We also experienced what good leadership means and how it affects us musicians within the "high-performance team" of an orchestra, and ultimately, the audience. These insights, the lived metaphor of the conductor, and the intensive exploration of the power of music form the foundation of the concept The Sound of Leadership®.
The Power of Music:
Why is Music Suitable for Leadership and Executive Development?
Here, music is not an end in itself or merely a metaphor; it is a precise tool for making impact visible in real time. It reveals how communication, presence, and collaboration actually function.
Music enables direct leadership experiences and exposes patterns that often remain hidden in daily business.
The leader's impact becomes immediately audible and tangible. Not in theory, but in the moment. Not abstractly, but physically perceptible.
The Idea Behind 'The Sound of Leadership':
How We Use Music as a Leadership Concept
"Music is a loophole into our innermost selves, to the place where our strengths, talents, and potential reside. Development aims to 'de-velope' this level—to unwrap it." – Florian Schönwiese
In his TEDx Talk, Florian demonstrates why music is an exceptionally effective medium for leadership development and how The Sound of Leadership® emerged from this insight.
Live the Power of Music as a Leadership Concept
The Settings we offer
All our settings are rooted in the world of classical music – they use the power of music!
Thanks to its multi-layered complexity, music allows us to address each participant individually during our workshops – immediately, honestly, and without detours.
Even in keynotes and indeed in all other settings, the topics become directly audible and experiential. Not in theory, but in the moment. Not abstractly, but physically perceptible.
The Sound of Leadership®
Leadership Workshop for executives and teams
Experience Leadership in Real Time. Music makes impact immediately visible and opens up new perspectives on communication, collaboration, and leadership.
Listen & Lead
Communication training for teams
Enhance your culture of listening, dialogue, and collaboration. Music creates a space for experience where communication becomes immediately tangible.
Keynotes
Impulses for Leadership and Collaboration
Inspiring talks on leadership, communication, motivation, and the power of music – featuring unconventional perspectives and long lasting food for thought.
1:1 Coaching
Individual Development for Leaders
Personal counselling with Dorothea Schönwiese – for greater clarity, self-reflection, and sustainable development in daily leadership.
Tailored Solutions
Custom Formats for Organisations
Together with you, we develop special settings and individual formats that fit precisely with your challenges, your culture, and your goals.
Who We Are
Dorothea and Florian Schönwiese are internationally recognized classical musicians from Vienna and pioneers of an exceptional leadership approach.
For over 15 years, they have combined professional orchestral music with leadership development, communication, and team building. They support companies, leaders, and teams in shaping communication more consciously, making leadership tangible, and initiating sustainable development.
Over the past 15 years, they have established a global reputation with The Sound of Leadership®, working with more than 1,300 active participants from around the world.
The Sound of Leadership® has been deployed internationally for many years – with leaders, teams, and organizations worldwide:
active participants
companies
since years
from continents
Short statements from participants of 'The Sound of Leadership':
„I was on Mt. Everest twice – but this was bigger!“
„There is nothing like this on the whole planet!“
„The metaphor works and the direct feedback is awesome.“
„This was a drill about attitude, emotions and actions“
„I finally started thinking out of the box!“
„Crystal clear now. Very powerful message!“
„In 'The Sound of Leadership' I could see my impact on the team IMMEDIATELY, with no delay.“
A selection of organisations whose leaders have placed their trust in The Sound of Leadership®:
What leaders say about 'The Sound of Leadership':
“The Sound of Leadership was a fabulous experience for all of the leadership team members. We were experiencing our different leadership styles in a fascinating new way – through music. The learning for every individual but also as a team was more than we could have hoped for.”
Maike Kiessling
General Manager DACH
The Estée Lauder Companies
“The Sound of Leadership is the most unique and powerful leadership seminar I have experienced. This seminar will transform the way you lead.”
Dr. Darryl McConnell
Research Site Head
Boehringer Ingelheim Regional Centre Vienna
"The Sound of Leadership provided participants of the highest-level football coaching certification with pinpoint-accurate and precise feedback on their leadership behavior—feedback that could not have been obtained more effectively through any other assessment method."
Dominik Thalhammer
Head Coach of the Austrian Women’s National Team; Head of Trainer Education and Development
Austrian Football Association (ÖFB)
News
We are delighted to have been invited to the international conference:
The official TED Conference dedicated to Artificial Intelligence
from 28–30 October 2026
See you there!
TED-AI Vienna
As part of a particularly interesting programme on ‘The Art of Good Leadership’, you can listen to an interview with Florian Schönwiese about both his experiences as a musician and his innovative project, ‘The Sound of Leadership’.
Here is the link to the interview (7’22’’) from 11th August 2026- in German:
https://www.ndr.de/kultur/musik-ist-wie-ein-guckloch-in-innerste-von-uns,audio-3411486.html