Leadership in Harmony

As part of the OTP Circle leadership initiative, senior women leaders from across the OTP Group recently participated in an interactive session with the Danubia Orchestra — an experience that brought to life the values of inclusion, collaboration, and shared purpose. What began as a musical exercise quickly became a powerful and practical reflection on what it means to lead together. SEED Executive School was honored to collaborate in shaping and facilitating this journey, creating space for shared experiences, leadership development, and mutual growth.

OTP Circle is a leadership initiative launched by OTP Group to connect and develop senior women leaders across its international network. SEED Executive School supports this journey, delivered as part of SEED’s Custom Program portfolio designed to provide organization-specific leadership development with direct relevance to real-world challenges.

The program’s overarching goal is to foster cross-border collaboration, enable knowledge sharing, and build a strong, inspiring network of senior women leaders who act as role models and play an active role in shaping the next generation of leadership.

AN UNCONVENTIONAL LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

The second gathering of the OTP Circle program included a special experience hosted at the Danubia Szalon. The session began with a short introduction by artistic director Máté Hámori, who presented the work of the Danubia Orchestra, not only as a symphonic ensemble, but as a community that practices inclusion in tangible ways.

One of the core topics of the OTP Circle journey is Diversity and Inclusion, and the orchestra’s work served as a direct illustration of this principle. Among the examples shared was a concert organized for the hearing impaired, where audience members were invited to experience music through the vibrations of the instruments, which was a powerful expression of accessibility and innovation.

A SHARED EXPERIENCE IN COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP

After the presentation, the participants were invited into a collaborative music-making session led by the orchestra’s percussion group. Divided into two smaller ensembles, each participant selected an instrument and was given a rhythm or melody to play.

Despite having little or no prior experience, the leaders engaged with openness and curiosity, trying out new instruments and working together to coordinate their sounds. Each group selected a conductor from among themselves to guide the performance, aligning individual contributions into a unified piece.

The session concluded with a full-group performance, conducted by Máté Hámori, where the two ensembles merged into a single orchestra.

The activity highlighted key aspects of effective leadership, such as coordination, active listening, adaptability, and the ability to connect diverse voices into one shared outcome. It also reflected the core intention of the OTP Circle initiative: creating shared experiences that strengthen leadership through trust, collaboration, and mutual support.

ABOUT THE OTP CIRCLE PROGRAM

Launched in spring 2025, OTP Circle brings together senior women leaders from nine countries, including Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria, Uzbekistan, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Moldova, Slovenia and Ukraine. The program is designed to foster dialogue, build trust, and create opportunities for cross-border collaboration within OTP Group.

At the heart of the initiative is a commitment to both personal and collective growth. During the second gathering, held at the end of September, participants focused on stepping into their mentor roles to support and uplift colleagues in the upcoming phase.

Reflecting SEED’s journey-based approach to executive development, the learning continues as participants step into their mentor roles and begin putting their insights into practice, further strengthening the leadership network across the OTP Group and extending the program’s impact beyond the formal gatherings.

This video was produced and shared by the Danubia Orchestra.