Podcast: Workplace Jazz with Gerald Leonard

Author Gerald Leonard joins Heather Marasse and Mary Beth Sawicki of Trilogy Effect in this episode of the Being Human Is Good for Business podcast to discuss his new book Workplace Jazz: How To IMPROVISE – 9 steps to Creating High-Performing Agile Project Teams.

A conservatory-trained professional bassist, Gerald offers a unique approach to accomplishing more in the workplace. He is the CEO of Principles of Execution, a Certified Minority Business Enterprise and consulting practice with over 20 years’ experience working governments and multinational corporations.

His book draws on his experience as a professional jazz bassist to teach us the role that improvisation plays in building agile teams. It includes a step-by-step process which forms the basis of a team development system to build corporate cultures that are healthier and more productive. 

Listen here:

“Agility is more important in today’s pandemic times than ever before,” Gerald explains. “You want to create an environment where teams can come together and connect quickly. In the jazz world, you can get a group of musicians who are from different countries and speak different languages to play a show together. They may not be able to communicate verbally all that well, but they become best friends and they figure it out because the music pulls them together. Workplace Jazz builds on this idea.”

In this podcast you’ll learn that:

  • Why it takes a jazz mindset to be a successful leader in these times.

  • Why culture forms the “bass” of an organization’s success along with Gerald’s seven fundamental elements of culture.

  • Why people want to be part of something bigger than themselves and the role this desire plays in building effective teams.

  • What leaders can learn from going to the symphony. 

 Links to information and resources discussed in this show: 

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