Let’s be clear. This article will be upsetting for some. The scope of this article is very much the far end of the leadership spectrum. This is where Autocratic leadership of any group, whatever its purpose, becomes toxic. It is important, despite how distasteful the subject, to be aware of this domain which lies far off the end of what would be considered a ‘normal’ leadership style. To illustrate this below are examples of human patterns of musical behaviour which might a

The sublime is a feeling of awe, wonder, and amazement that is often associated with nature or art. There is a view that these extreme states of mind are rare and only available to those who are extremely skilled. However there is something about our human capacity to co-operate together which points to a different answer. The strongest evidence for this comes from within the field of music. Given that it is a fundamental of human nature that we are all musical, the achieveme

We're going to discuss the business of culture change in an organisation from the perspective of music improvisation. In music this is often the place where new ideas emerge and which then become crafted into a new piece of music. The processes involved in music improvisation have an uncanny resemblence to those needed for non-musical culture change. The culture of a business is the set of shared values, beliefs, and norms that shape the way an organisation operates. It is of

​ Entrainment in the biomusicological sense refers to the synchronization of organisms to an external perceived rhythm such as human music and dance. ​ Examples are such behaviours as involuntary foot tapping to music, following the herd, sympathetic resonance between two violin strings and finding oneself walking in rhythm to the background music played in a hotel or railway station. ​ Entrainment can happen when music takes us to 'another space' - we 'bliss out'. ​ We often

Since the rise of our capitalist society humans have been sold the work ethic (Sharon Beder: "Selling The Work Ethic"). It seems almost sacrilegious to challenge the notion that if we're not busy we are basically lazy, that indolence is a sin. Before the Reformation most people had things they needed to do and for the most part they did them. When they were finished they stopped. The work was there and once it was done it was done. The concept of being paid for our time was c

Music is not an object. It can be mistaken for a 'thing' especially with our technological gifts. But music is, in essence, gossamer floating on the breeze: a pulse of air lasting just a moment or two. My book, Mastering Chaos: A Musician's Guide refers to something which is so important to us humans but which, the moment it appears, is gone. Despite this it carries enormous power. To us humans our ability to create sound in a structured way has been a major factor in our

Do you feel as if you're permanently on the brink of what feels a bit like a precipice? Do you sometimes feel as if you're teetering on edge of something almost unimaginably terrible? And it's all more than a bit scary? Well, if you are (right now) or have (quite recently) had this experience, then I don't think you're alone. There has been so much in the news about potentially critical events that could occur (are occurring or have already occurred) on the planet that it's

Decision-making can be musical. I can see several questions emerging in your mind as you read this. The purpose of this blog is to outline times in history when music came into decision making. It also examines how even decisions about engine maintenance come down to a matter of tone and feel. Finally I describe how, in the middle of a corporate negotiation over 'who gets paid what', musical processes materialised which helped inform the decision. “One all-important purpose l

What is truth and does it matter? Most of us, when asked this question, will probably think they have sufficient understanding of truth to be able to provide an answer with which others will agree. The question of whether or not truth exists has been debated by philosophers for centuries. There are two main schools of thought on this issue: Objectivism holds that there is an objective reality that exists independent of our minds, and that truth is a correspondence between our

Musicians tend, by the way they work together, to build trust with each other, creating a strong foundation for musical collaboration. This foundation can lead to more creative, rewarding, and enjoyable experiences for everyone involved. This applies to both musical and non-musical settings. In many non-musical activities, trust might be overlooked and yet it is probably the biggest differentiator in many endeavours. Trust just makes things easier. It smooths the way. In bus

We all have the hope that we might live ordered lives. Life might, at least at the surface level, have that appearance. Humans generally have a strong desire for safety and with it certainty. In the absence of disturbing news it is possible to perceive of life as a 'calm sea' the waves gentle breaking on the shore. We can ignore the possibility of the storms which exist beyond the horizon. We often talk of people as living in their own 'bubble', seemingly oblivious to risk, t