Innovation Insights
by Stephen Shapiro

Jazz and Innovation

Classical Music, Jazz, Innovation, and Me Jamming on the Sax

I recently unearthed some videos from 25 years ago of a speech I gave in Nice, France. In the middle of the presentation, I whipped out my saxophone and started jamming with a band. We hadn’t prepared or discussed what we would play—it was 100% improvised.

That was the point of the talk. I shared a perspective that’s just as relevant today: classical music, like many of our business processes, can be rigid and inflexible.

We truly need the ability to improvise and innovate—qualities that jazz embodies so well. That’s why I suggested jazz as a more fitting metaphor for dynamic and adaptable business practices.

These clips were pieced together and enhanced using AI. While the quality isn’t perfect, I think they still capture the essence of the message.

I briefly discuss this concept in my latest book, PIVOTAL: Creating Stability in an Uncertain World. In the prior section of the book, I talked about linguistics and deep structure (the meaning) vs. surface structure (the configuration of the words). I hope you enjoy the video (scroll down) and this excerpt…

Music provides an apt metaphor for illustrating the difference between surface and deep structures and their impact on business operations. It also provides insight into how to disseminate your differentiator.

Classical music is an example of surface structure. There is very little room for interpretation. With little variation, different orchestras play a given composition in very similar ways. Jazz, on the other hand, is often about the deep structure: the chords, rhythm, and time signature. Armed with this information, a jazz ensemble can improvise and innovate within the confines of this intention rather than being forced to play a specific set of notes. The players are free to express what comes to them in the moment while adhering to the imposed guidelines.  

Businesses, like jazz ensembles, need simple structures to foster innovation to emerge. They need a set of principles that help everyone deliver on their differentiator. But jazz is much more than just improvisation. It is the fruit of the activity of a group of people. Jazz is a social activity, and so are businesses.

At a conference in France, I illustrated the connection between jazz improvisation and business innovation. After discussing adaptability in business, I brought out a group of jazz musicians I’d commissioned but never met. Grabbing my tenor sax, I simply told them, “Twelve-bar B-flat blues.” We dove in, delivering five minutes of spontaneous music. I believe the audience grasped the concept. 

To showcase a traditional approach, I’d have picked up my bassoon and played a classical piece without deviation. Sadly, many businesses operate more like orchestras than like jazz bands. We ask people to do rote tasks instead of letting them think of better ways to do their work. 

When organizations focus on the deep structure, improvisation begins to emerge. Innovation becomes a more natural act because everyone is clear on the “why” and “what.” From there, they can innovate the “how.” Work becomes a truer expression of each individual yet is aligned with the differentiator. With this, creativity emerges from everyone within the structure.

Just as I was able to create jazz music in France without any preparation or an elaborate musical score, a business can rapidly disseminate the differentiator when it focuses on the deep structure—the meaning behind your differentiator.