Chapter 2 Refdoerf ti hnei nDgi gCi ot ahleAr egne c e W hen a jazz ensemble improvises, each musician responds in real time to what others are playing. There is no predeter- mined score, yet the performance achieves a remarkable coherence. The music feels purposeful rather than chaotic, unified rather than fragmented. This isn’t achieved through rigid control but through shared understanding of musical principles, attentive listening, and con- tinuous adaptation.
This form of coherence—emergent rather than imposed—offers a powerful metaphor for organizations navigating today’s complex business landscape. In the original edition of this book, I defined coherence as “an
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