An invaluable lesson in business management from The Grateful Dead

Phil Lesh, the Grateful Dead's uniquely iconic and beloved bassist, died last week at the age of 84. He was a beautiful musician, a wonderful man, a sweet soul. Furthermore, through his recognizably unique approach to his instrument and how it becomes such an integral part of the band's creative development, he embodied more than just music.

And the lessons we learned from him – and the boys – are more applicable to business than ever before. The most current of all comes from Phil, expressed in this book: Looking for the sound (2005).

“Infinite changeability…”

The essence of the Grateful Dead, he explained, was “the infinite changeability of our music.”

If anything personified the dead – and explained their longevity, both up to the untimely and shocking death of Jerry Garcia in 1995 and after – it was this: infinite change. My personal library contains about 40 volumes about, about, or of the dead, but I cannot point to something more essential, nor can I express it more convincingly: infinite mutability. And if there's anything that suggests a company needs to survive in today's dizzyingly changing world, it's still this: infinite change.

The main mission of a CEO: change.

Call it what Phil did or call it adaptability or holistic change or innovative or flexible, Phil nailed it. Successful CEOs will be the first to agree.

From the time I attended my first Grateful Dead show at the legendary Fillmore East in New York, sometime in late 1968 or early 1969 (I can't remember exactly, but that's typical of old Deadheads like me, heh- heh, who attended about 120). of their concerts – also a pretty accurate estimate), I recognized that in them. Every time they took the stage, they were a living, breathing experiment in creativity, unafraid to explore new territory and easily settling into their 20-minute jams (or more) on “Dark Star” or ” Goin' Down the Road” or “Morning Dew” or just anything else that floated through, anything was possible. So in the 30 years from their founding to Jerry's death – and in the 29 years since – they remained fresh, new, fearless and constantly innovative.

And who pointed this lesson to us? Phil, that quiet, unassuming bassist, was usually seen right on stage, away from the bright spotlight, while Jerry and Bobby took the vocal and instrumental leads and Mickey and Billy formed an integrated drumming partnership that you wouldn't find anywhere else. All the time. There was Phil – the most innovative bassist I've ever seen – laying the foundation to support the Dead's infinite changeability, sometimes vibrant and powerful, sometimes as lyrical as Jerry Garcia's lead. For regular bass players, this wasn't even a remote possibility, let alone a practical thought.

For Phil it was a way of being.

Make no mistake, each of the boys – and later Donna Jean – was instrumental in creating the most unique band in history. So it's easy to understand: without Phil, the Grateful Dead, as talented as they were, wouldn't have been the band we know.

In this light, I see Phil approaching the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter recognizing his special newcomer, turning to the others already there and saying, “Okay, boys.” You can join in now. Phil is here.”

Infinitely changeable as ever. Forever.