Editor's note: Frank J. Barrett is a Professor of Management in
the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval
Postgraduate School. His latest book is, "Yes to the Mess:
Surprising Leadership Lessons from Jazz Improvisation." (CNN) --
How do you cope when faced with complexity and constant change
at work? Successful leaders do what jazz musicians do: they
improvise. They invent novel responses and take calculated risks
without a scripted plan or a safety net. They negotiate with
each other as they proceed, and they don't dwell on mistakes or
stifle each other's ideas. In short, they say "yes to the mess"
that is today's hurried, harried, yet enormously innovative and
fertile world of work. An improvisational "jazz mindset" and the
skills that go along with it are essential for effective
leadership today. But how do you bring that into your work-life?
First, master the art of unlearning. Jazz musicians guard
against the seductive power of routines and habits. They
challenge themselves to explor