Lessons from Outside the Field: Chick Corea on Miles Davis as a Bandleader

What do you gain for our field as you consider this quote about Miles Davis as a bandleader?

Here it is. See what you think….

The main ingredient there, if there was any special ingredient, was Miles, and the way he led the way…Basically there was an agreement amongst those musicians, not spoken but something we all shared, which was everybody in that band – Herbie, Wayne, Tony, Ron, Miles himself, and in the band I was in – these musicians are special in the sense that they and we dedicate our lives to it. I mean it’s a hobby for sure and it’s fun for sure, but it’s a lifetime pursuit and it’s something that we do passionately, devotedly, every day of our lives. So it becomes important to know how to grow and to know how to stay fresh. And the thing that Miles brought to that whole thing was an example to all of us of how to trust yourself, of how to use your imagination and let it be. Let yourself be…he wanted people to naturally be themselves…and he participated with it and he directed it sort of, and put it into a form…and nurtured it. So that was the lesson I learned.
Chick Corea

What are some ways that quote relates to our field?

What hints does it provide – for our role as clinician, clinical supervisor, or administrative manager?

Personally, I like it outlining a blend of these words and phrases: dedicated to the work, hobby, fun, lifetime pursuit, passionate, devoted, and every day of their lives. And I like the idea of a group of colleagues to be among who are like that.
I like the idea of recognizing ahead of the fact that it’s important to know how to grow, and how to stay fresh.
I like the idea of the leader being an example of trusting yourself, using your imagination, letting things be, and wanting people to be themselves.
And I like the idea of a leader’s function as a participant, directing “sort of”, and forming and nurturing the work.

One principle from the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) is that of learning lessons from outside the field – and applying them to our work.

I wanted to share that quotation in that spirit. It’s one of my favorites and I’ve been meditating on it for years.