Who doesn’t want work to feel a little more connected – dare we say, jazzier? Conservatory-trained musician, CEO of the business consultancy Principles of Execution (a Certified Minority Business Enterprise), and author of Workplace Jazz: How to Improvise – 9 Steps to Creating High-Performing Agile Project Team, Gerald J. Leonard knows that employees want to bring their passion to work. The problem is that management does not know how to bring out the best of their employees by keying into artistic temperaments.
Since he first picked up his sister’s guitar at age 12, music has taught Gerald many things: the discipline of practice, playing fairly, how to listen, connect with others, and how to have fun. In the mind of an artist, a performance is either great or horrible. There is no gray area; it is excellent or it is shameful. For most of us, work is our biggest daily performance. We want to nail it and feel bad when we fail. We also need skilled conductors – good leadership – to guide our flow and help us play our best, both as solo artists and as part of the band.
In Workplace Jazz, Gerald makes the case for supporting agile transformational project teams like a jazz ensemble, offering case studies, step-by-step processes, neuroscience research, and more. Agile transformational teams are critical because they enable employees to work well under pressure, be less defensive, more open to feedback, and understand and support other team members. Gerald’s nine essential I.M.P.R.O.V.I.S.E. tips include:
- Improving Skills — Deliberate Practice: How to develop unconscious competence like a musician
- Measure What Matters: How to set collaborative goals and deliver meaningful results
- Positive Attitude Cultivation: How to analyze what impacts attitudes and results
- Risk to Reward: Skills for managing risk and reaping reward
- Open to Feedback: How to cultivate a growth mindset by continually looking to improve
- Visualize Your Results: See goals the way world-class musicians and athletes do
- Inspired by Aspirations: Know the difference between goal inspirations and goal aspirations
- Surrender to Support: Learn to adapt to changing roles, either as soloist or backup
- Excellence in Execution: Set a standard of excellence with key factors for achieving it
Workplace Jazz explains why the hallmarks of high performing employees are nearly identical to those of artists and teaches management to tap into their teams’ natural creativity to keep them engaged, collaborative and successful. He shows how to live the mantra of workplace jazz, providing a roadmap for finding fulfillment within a team whether it involves holding a note, taking notes, or both.
“Congratulations, Gerald, on your new book. You have obviously put a lot of heart into it. This wonderful, enjoyable book entertains you and opens your mind and heart to inspire others. It can change your life and the lives of others.” — Brian Tracy, author/speaker/consultant
