What do jazz, leadership and volunteerism have in common?

The answer: A whole lot, according to Brian Fraser, Ph.D. and founder of Jazzthink.

In 2002, Brian, who is an author, professional speaker, coach and consultant, was inspired to combine his love of jazz music with his passion for inspiring leadership. “Jazz is conversation; and being an effective leader starts with conversation. The parallels were there,” explains Brian, who has since grown his company, while nurturing his third passion – giving back.

“Whether working with CEOs of companies, or the Executive Director of a not-for-profit, the desired outcome is the same,” says Brian, who offers 30 years of experience as an executive educator and organizational historian. “It’s good governance.”

By sharing his expertise, Brian sparks dialogues that allow people to align their talents with their passions, resulting in peak performance.

While jazz might seem like an unlikely metaphor for leadership, Brian elicits rave reviews from not-for-profit organizations like Action Line Housing Society and Volunteer Vancouver. He works with these organizations to cultivate many of the principals that apply to jazz music: respecting different voices and talents, recognizing the broader goal of the entire group, maintaining the tempo of your performance, and accepting the nature of evolving roles from lead to back-up, and vice-versa.

By offering one-on-one consultation with Executive Directors, Brian is often able to facilitate a change in the tone of board meetings to elicit the best possible contribution from everyone in attendance.

While Brian is already an accomplished leader and coach, he admits that the learning process never ceases. Becoming a better leader is a lifelong journey, and Brian has discovered that there is no better path to take than that of giving back.