I find these same concepts relate directly to the strategy, design, and execution of technology projects. There is a tremendous amount of creativity on how business strategy, process engineering, data and analytics, software, and hardware all come together to solve business problems and meet customer needs. Once designed, these solutions have to be secure, scalable, and highly available. As a result, precise execution is critical. Being on beat and hitting the right notes is the product of many takes in the recording studio, just as writing and testing code is critical to ensuring the final product is the highest possible quality.
At the same time, playing music in a band and leading a technology organization both require continual attention and adaptability. In music, that might come in the form of improvising and responding to the dynamics of your bandmates during a live performance. You have to be nimble in those situations, and it takes a lot of practice and experience to build your chops and be able to listen and adjust in the moment. This is something we’re all too familiar with as technology leaders. Especially with the speed of change and innovation, you have to make smart calls under pressure and be able to navigate quickly evolving business priorities, unexpected challenges, and new opportunities.
Does playing music help you process complex problems and see patterns differently? If so, how?
