He did what amanageris supposed to do: take the vision, mission, and objectives set by executives and communicate it to those on the front lines in way that helps them perform to the best of their abilities.
The compliance director, a lawyer, patiently explains that as an employee of the manager there is little he can do other than discuss the matter with senior management-a small group which includes the guilty portfolio manager.
The general-manager role is partly creative and partly financial (he has to doa great deal of fundraising from the Met's wealthy patrons), and Mr. Gelb has been a particularly public face during his six-year tenure.