Ensembles Break Down Barriers
Welcome to the November edition of First Friday Inspiration!
Today we feature Miles Davis, an 8-time Grammy award winner, legendary trumpet player, and jazz icon. Over the course of a four-decades-plus career, his imprint and influence on jazz have inspired countless musicians, artists, politicians, and business leaders.
He personified shared leadership as both a bandleader and artist, bringing the full force of his creativity to benefit the ensemble — not only his fellow bandmates, but also audience members, record listeners, and even critics. Davis knew that it all starts with the right attitude.
“It's not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.” ― Miles Davis
In more traditional styles of music, mistakes are easily identifiable and typically frowned upon. But Miles Davis always embraced these “errors,” knowing that change allows for improvisation, and for the beauty of uncertainty to shine through.
Even as he appreciated the beauty of uncertainty and improvisation and experimented with form and style, Miles Davis also understood that for him to shine, he needed an ensemble around him and he needed to make space for them to shine too, “When I'm playing, I'm never through. It's unfinished. I like to find a place to leave for someone else to finish it. That's where the high comes in. If I know I left a perfectly good spot for someone else to come in – like, there it is!”
As a master of his craft, Davis nudged his industry and even society. He unabashedly shared his views on diversity and inclusion, making him at once a representative and champion of the community, and as a mentor, he “served as a lionizing force for other musicians,” says John Mayer.
We believe there’s so much to learn from Miles Davis that we can translate to the workplace. In jazz ensembles, for example, no one person is at the center. All contributions & roles matter - Miles Davis saw this in how different instrumentalists could lose sight of their role in supporting each other, even as they soloed. He was unafraid to call for deeper awareness of this with his collaborators, such as this direction for Saxophonist Bob Berg, “I say, listen man, when you play you gotta help the rhythm section. Don't just lean on them.”
One of the reasons his quintets are revered is because of how the master musicians in these ensembles supported each other to shine. How would this paradigm shift -- from teamwork to ensemble flow -- help break down barriers between roles and departments? Can sharing leadership, power & accountability help your company adapt more quickly & effectively?
Tell us: how do you plan to incorporate ensemble listening into your leadership style this November? Respond to us here or on social media—we’d love to celebrate and share your lessons and wins!