Yes to the Mess

In Yes to the Mess, Frank J. Barrett presents a new pattern for leading and collaborating in organizations. Like experienced jazz players, leaders need to adopt the art of unlearning rigid, routine-based practices and embrace approaches that encourage simultaneous performance and experimentation. When people within an organization feel comfortable providing novel ideas and supporting each other in the fluid exchange of insights, the result is innovation. Jazz bands are flexible, organized, and combine sufficient constraints and synchronization to foster diversity. Innovative organizations can do the same to inspire exploration and experimentation by allowing their people to respond to intuitive insights.