What Jazz Bands Teach Leaders About Team Performance

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Learn how to build a team where different strengths are a feature, not a problem, using the principles that make great jazz bands consistently outperform groups of equally talented individuals.Most organisations build teams as if similarity is a strength. Dr. Colin Fisher, Associate Professor at UCL School of Management and author of The Collective Edge, argues the opposite: difference is the point. Drawing on his background as a professional jazz trumpet player, he explains why the structure, roles, and norms that jazz musicians take for granted are exactly what most leadership teams are missing.The research is clear. High-performing groups tend to sit between three and seven members. Yet most organisational meetings have ten, fifteen, or twenty people in the room, expected to contribute meaningfully in short bursts. If there is one thing Fisher has seen consistently across organisations, it is that too many people in the room is the problem leaders are least likely to name.This clip is a preview of the full conversation. Subscribe now to catch the full episode at levelupleadership.uk when it dropsGUEST BIOGRAPHYDR. COLIN FISHER: Colin is Associate Professor of Organisations and Innovation at UCL School of Management, PhD Programme Director, and a former professional jazz trumpet player. His book, The Collective Edge, draws on decades of research into group dynamics, creativity, and improvisation to explain why some teams consistently outperform others.