I was much more interested in the orchestra than the piano, but I did become fairly proficient as a pianist and my teachers felt I had talent and wanted me to become a good concert pianist and earn my living that way. ↗
In symphonic music, when you are conducting, you do the same thing. You are feeling the whole orchestra, thinking ahead so you can prepare for a change. ↗
A conductor can do wild things which can feel forced, but if you're directing from within the orchestra, you can't do that, things have to feel natural. ↗