 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Jazzing Up Your Leadership Style
I met New York jazzman Tim Armacost in college almost 25 years ago, at a time when we were both grappling not only with what careers we ought to pursue, but with what kind of adults we wanted to become. Tim comes from an illustrious family, boasting more than its fair share of bank presidents, ambassadors and college presidents. I would not have been surprised if he had gone into finance, diplomacy, or academia. And yet, with seemingly limitless professional options open to him, Tim chose a more modest path - that of the jazz musician. For two decades he's been traveling the globe, pursuing his career as a professional tenor saxophonist, in such exotic locations as Amsterdam, Delhi, and Tokyo. His albums, including Live at Smalls and The Wishing Well, have received high praise from the Washington Post and Jazz Times. Fluent in Japanese, Tim is also a longtime student of Zen Buddhism; his meditation practice infuses his music and contributes strongly to his relaxed yet passionate performance style. I asked Tim to share a few of his thoughts on team leadership - from a jazz improv perspective. Here are his insightful comments: "What I've learned from leading jazz groups, and from being a sideman for that matter, is that a group functions best when the leader is strong, confident, and has a vision. Within the context of that, he must also give the members of the band the feeling that they are totally free to express themselves within the boundaries of what the leader is setting out to do. I often find myself describing an improvising quartet as an excellent example of living, dynamic democracy. The jazz group was born to express the American spirit, and it has evolved into a form that is capable of expressing the spirits of communities of musicians throughout the world. "The leader needs to pick members who will be compatible, and create an environment of mutual respect. With this in place, the sidemen can relax into a feeling of safety, from which they can explore and take risks without being judged unfairly for mistakes. If the leader is too selfish or demanding, the band members start to see themselves as just being there to do a job and collect a paycheck, and they lose respect for the leader. But more importantly, they become detached from the music and go on autopilot, ceasing to be actively expressing their own true music. On the flip side, if the leader defers too much to others in the band, the sidemen lose respect for him because they expect to be led somewhere interesting. This situation can result in everyone acting like a leader to pick up the slack in the band, and arguments over decision making and the direction of the music inevitably ensue. "Then there's the issue of "swing". There's the fundamental level of swing where everyone is feeling the beat together, and the music has natural momentum. Then there's the next level where four artists all hearing the music in its moment of creation together generate an incredible propulsion. The rush of that stream carries each individual and the group into a place where they are all playing in a way that no one imagined before or could possibly recreate. The music is not only in the moment, it is of the moment. That's what I live for! Occasionally it happens, and I dream of the day when I can play enough and have enough work for my band to live in that place more. "So I see the wisdom of team leadership lying in the ability to acknowledge and nurture each individual's freedom and creativity while simultaneously having the vision to create a group dynamic that takes the individuals bound together to a new and unforeseen place." Editor's Note: Business team leaders can learn much from the world of Jazz improv. Before your next meeting, considering asking yourself the following questions: 1) Do I have a strong, confident vision for my team, and if so, what is it and have I communicated it sufficiently? Am I taking people somewhere "interesting"? 2) Do I provide my "sidemen" the freedom to express themselves within the boundaries of my vision? 3) On the flipside, do I provide so much freedom that my team members are confused about the direction they're being asked to take? 4) Do we "swing" as a team? Are we attaining, on a regular basis, that feeling of flow you get when people are functioning at their highest performance level? If not, what aspects of my leadership style might be preventing this? Let the spirits of Miles Davis and Duke Ellington be your guide. (Visit Tim Armacost on the web at www.timarmacost.com) Dave Blum is the founder of Dr. Clue treasure hunts, the national leader in business teambuilding with a treasure hunt game as the core simulation. Visit us on the web at http://www.drclue.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Buy an Electric Guitar For most of us, making any major purchase, such as a new refrigerator, or a new car, is a cacophony of options and confusion; do we want the silver one or the black one? How much can we afford to spend? Will it last over time? If nothing else, we at least know what we need these appliances to do: the microwave needs to make the food hot quickly, the car needs to get us from one place to the other without breaking down. When confronted with the purchase of a new guitar, even experienced guitarists can have trouble deciding what exactly they want and need. Liberate your iPod When Akio Morita came up with the idea of the Sony Walkman all of his colleagues at the thought he was completely insane. The general consensus was that people wouldn't want to walk around the streets wearing headphones. The Joy of Spontaneous Expression Do you remember finger-painting as a child? How fun it was. How exciting to be able to dip your fingers into a color that called out to you and put it on paper. College Radio: The Most Important Radio Level for Musicians For the self-promoting independent artist, the idea of taking on a radio promotion campaign can, in itself, become overwhelming. But, this idea is usually based on such artists attempting to obtain worldwide airplay on a local budget. Music for Cross Cultural Accelerated Learning The Search for the Right MusicEver since Georgi Lozonav, the noted Bulgarian physicist and accelerated learning pioneer, conducted his ground breaking studies about the impact of music on learning, trainers around the globe have been trying to find the perfect musical formula to help them connect participants and produce desired results.When Executive Oasis International formed a strategic alliance with Kuala Lumpur based FIK International to offer seminars throughout Asia, we wanted to ensure that our approach would be relevant to the various cultures in which we would be working. MP3 Music Subscription Services. A Good Deal? There's a reason Apple Computer dominates the legal 99-cents-a-download digital music scene: It does it right. Apple's iPods set the style and ease-of-use standards that other portable music players must try (so far unsuccessfully) to match. Self-Expression Without Criticism When I was 9 years old I played the Saxophone and thought I was pretty good at it. Unfortunately, I had a teacher who didn't think so and he went out of his way to make sure I knew how he felt. Say Something The music of Rush influences and inspires, at least that's what it's done for me over the past 25 years. Now, the question is, is the music that powerful, or am I just too easy to inspire? Both I guess. Play The Piano Like A Pro Meet the 12 Major Notes:1. C (do)2. Suzuki Violin Vs Traditional Violin The Suzuki violin method has come to dominate the way violin is taught in America and throughout much of the world. Mention the Suzuki violin method to music educators, and you will get a variety of responses. Composing George Winston Style If you're a fan of New Age piano, no doubt you've listened to some of George Winston's music. What I find fascinating about his songs is how he creates them. Anglican Arrogance: Small-Minded Choirmembers What is "Episcopal" music?We often hear people express concern about losing ties to our Anglican heritage, which dates back about 500 years. One area that draws attention is music. Oh My Aching Head! Can Music Really Make You Feel Better? We all know, if only instinctively, that music has a profound effect on us. If we didn't believe that music affects us then singing lullabies to calm children and help them sleep wouldn't be universal. How to Create Hip, Mature, and Lush Harmonies [correction] Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in a single octave, the root on the bottom, the third in the middle, and the fifth on the top.Usually chords are "voiced!"This basically means that the positions of a chord's tones are scattered over the keyboard. Learn To Play The Piano Better By Learning To Arrange Chords & Chord Progressions Piano arranging is the process by which you take a written piece of music and rework it with chords, adding new bass accompaniment, fills, or even slightly altering the song's structure. And while it's a process that takes years to truly master, anyone with a basic education in piano and a working knowledge of a few key techniques can create an inventive, satisfying arrangement. Making Music As A Lefty Author Interview with Ryan Thomson, seacoast New Hampshire resident, and author of a new book advocating left handed violin playing by lefties. - Playing Violin and Fiddle Left Handed. Piano Playing For Adults: More Fun Than Sex And Not Nearly As Dangerous! OK, so I lied about the fun part.Maybe piano playing is the just 2nd most fun thing adults can do. Music for Corporate Entertainment For many years I have supplied music for and played in bands that provide music for corporate entertainment. Clients have included Audi, The Evening Standard, Sainsburys, P. Motorhead Inferno Motorhead-"Inferno"-Review by Les Lewellyn When David Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame release the sensational CD "Probot" this year it rekindled my metal tastebuds. For those of you not familiar with his project I'll explain. Piano Playing and Performance Anxiety I'll never forget the first time I played the piano for an audience.It was my first concert and it was fairly full up.
|
|
|
 |
 |
