Here at Global Round Table Leadership, we're committed to working as "ensembles"—teams on their journey to leading together and relating first as humans, with every role, voice, and contribution equally important. When we practice working as an ensemble, it helps us break out of the power-over and power-under mode and move toward sharing leadership and power with each other.

It's easy to see the magic & genius of ensembles through the lens of music—jazz especially. So last November, we spent an afternoon ​​at the Vermont Jazz Center with a trio of seasoned jazz performers—Claire Arenius, Malik McLaurine, and Eugene Uman—discussing the dynamics of ensembles and how to translate that into the business world and beyond.

Here are 4 musical practices to inspire your leadership:

1. Create a Learning Environment

What's one thing that icons as diverse as Miles Davis and Ray Dalio share in common? The willingness to learn.

Improvisation is typical in jazz, and when something unexpected happens – an off note, a missed melody – it's treated like an opportunity rather than a mistake. In business, as in music, we believe that every moment, no matter the outcome, offers a chance to learn.

As Malik puts it, "Being in a group setting is where you learn how to flourish, and you learn how the people that you're with work and learn, too." When we practice sharing leadership, we quickly realize that the collective's wisdom is much broader and deeper than any one of us can contain alone and that all flourishing is mutual. 🌱

2. Give Everyone Time to Shine (a.k.a. Don't Hog the Spotlight)

Our current hierarchical model for leadership expects expertise. Having to know everything and be everything to everyone all the time is exhausting! (Not to mention impossible). 

A leader who shares power knows that they don't know everything and will happily hand the microphone over to others for their input and feedback. When we remember that, as Eugene shares, "the music is more important than we are," we free ourselves of shouldering burdens alone. By giving everyone a chance to shine, we allow ourselves to be supported and supportive.

3. Play to Each Other's Strengths

Sharing leadership asks that we know one another as people. So it's important to highlight and recognize what your teammates do well for personal development, team development, and even your bottom line.

Gallup's State of the American Workplace shows that building on the strengths of group members is much more effective in raising overall performance than trying to improve weaknesses.

Playing to one's strengths builds confidence, and as our founder, Lori Hanau, says, "Confidence, along with vulnerability, is required for something magical and healing to happen within the ensemble."

4. Be Experimental

One of the 6 key qualities of ensembles is artistry. Sharing leadership and power allows us to be more free-thinking, innovative, and creative because we practice making every moment a beautiful exchange – just like a jazz composition.

As Claire points out, "When you play, there's permission. It's freeing to start and just let things percolate and let the music tell you what to do. Because each time you change direction, you change the energy."

So let yourself – and your team – get experimental from time to time. Try out the practices for a month to six weeks, and see how they shift your organizational culture. Our clients report that it leads to fresher brainstorming sessions, more creative problem-solving strategies, better innovation management, a more cohesive work culture, and better buy-in at every level of their organization. Plus, research shows that happier employees lead to increased productivity and greater customer satisfaction time and time again.

Want your workplace to flow more like an ensemble? Learn more about our leadership training program and executive coaching services here.

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