What Jazz and Business Have in Common
...And why great CEOs improvise!
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This realization came to me when I attended a jazz jam in Mexico City. I was listening to soothing, creative tunes and thought, “Business is so much like jazz!” Let me explain.
Picture this: A jazz musician steps onto the stage, no sheet music, no set plan—just a deep understanding of their instrument, a feel for the rhythm, and an ability to adapt in real time. Sounds familiar? It should, because great CEOs operate the same way.
During the past two years as Olympia's CEO, I realized that running a business isn’t about rigidly following a script. It is about improvisation, adaptability, and knowing when to take risks. The best musicians don’t just play notes; they listen, respond, and create something new in the moment. The same goes for the best leaders. Success in both fields comes down to a balance of discipline, creativity, and intuition.
How Business is Like Jazz
🎷 Master the Basics, Then Break the Rules
Great jazz musicians spend years perfecting scales before they start improvising. They don’t jump into solos without understanding timing, key changes, and musical structures. Similarly, in business, you need a solid foundation—understanding your market, customers, and financials—before you can pivot and innovate. The biggest mistakes happen when CEOs try to “wing it” without truly knowing their craft. Learn the rules first, then break them strategically.
🥁 Stay in Sync, But Stand Out
Jazz bands thrive on collaboration, with each musician listening and responding in real time. The best jazz performances happen when musicians anticipate each other's moves, leaving space for solos while maintaining a cohesive sound. In business, that means surrounding yourself with the right team, tuning into the market, and knowing when to lead versus when to support. Great CEOs know when to let others shine and when to take center stage.
🎵 The Magic Is in the Mistakes
In jazz, a “wrong” note can become the start of something brilliant if the musician embraces it. Miles Davis famously said:
It’s not the note you play that’s the wrong note—it’s the note you play afterward that makes it right.
In business, setbacks and failures are often where the biggest breakthroughs happen—if you stay flexible and learn from them. Many great companies pivoted after an initial failure, turning unexpected challenges into their biggest opportunities.
🎶 Improvise Within a Structure
Even in free-flowing jazz, there’s always a structure—a chord progression, a tempo, a theme. Business works the same way. You need a strategy, a roadmap, and financial discipline to keep things on track. But within that structure, the most successful leaders allow room for improvisation, creativity, and innovation. The ability to adapt to market shifts, customer feedback, and economic conditions is what separates thriving businesses from those that fade away.
💡 Adapt or Be Left Behind
No jazz performance is the same twice. Markets shift, customer needs evolve, and CEOs who stick rigidly to a plan without adjusting to reality risk getting left behind. The best leaders, like the best musicians, trust their instincts and respond in the moment. Those who succeed in volatile environments don’t just react; they anticipate change and embrace uncertainty as part of the game.
Want to Hear This in Action?
In the recent episode of The First-Time CEO podcast, I sat down with Jonathan Treussard, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Treussard Capital Management. He started as a Parisian jazz musician before entering the world of finance and wealth management in the US. His bold journey is a fascinating look at how flexibility, intuition, and discipline—core elements of jazz—apply to managing money and building a business.
Jonathan and I discussed:
The surprising connection between music, market psychology, and investing
The biggest financial mistakes first-time CEOs make—and how to avoid them
Why market crashes aren’t the problem—it’s how you prepare for them
The power of word-of-mouth in building a trusted wealth management firm
How to keep control of your money before it disappears into the "big machine"
🎧 Watch/listen to my full conversation with Jonathan Treussard here:
YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE PODCASTS
Resources for First-Time CEOs on Financial Management
📌 Wealth, Empowered – Jonathan’s super-useful and authentic newsletter and your first step towards regaining understanding, control, and agency over your own wealth.
📌 Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs by Karen Berman & Joe Knight – A must-read on understanding financial statements and making smarter business decisions.
📌 The Lean Startup by Eric Ries – While not a finance book, it teaches essential financial discipline and risk management for founders.
👉 What’s the biggest moment in your career where you had to improvise? Drop a comment and let’s talk!
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