What jazz taught me about leading an architecture practice - by William Gati

In jazz, the wrong note is rarely the real problem. The real problem is when nobody is listening.

After nearly four decades running an architectural practice, teaching architecture students in New York, and performing music professionally, I have come to realize that leadership in architecture has much more in common with jazz than most people think. Both require structure, discipline, timing, coordination, creativity, and above all, trust.

Architecture is often presented as a profession centered around buildings, drawings, and technical expertise. While those things are certainly important, the longer I practice, the more I believe architecture is fundamentally about people. Successful projects depend upon communication between clients, architects, engineers, consultants, contractors, agencies, and communities. Like a jazz ensemble, every participant has a voice, and leadership is about bringing those voices together into something coherent and meaningful.

One of the most important lessons jazz taught me is the value of listening. Young musicians often think leadership means playing louder, faster, or more aggressively. Young architects sometimes think leadership means controlling every decision in the room. In reality, effective leadership requires careful listening, observation, and timing. The strongest leaders are often the calmest people in the room. They understand when to lead directly, when to support others, and when to step back entirely.

In architecture, listening is critical during every phase of a project. Clients frequently struggle to articulate exactly what they want. Contractors may identify unforeseen field conditions. Consultants may raise technical concerns that affect design intent. Community members often express emotional or cultural concerns that cannot simply be solved through code analysis alone. If leadership becomes dominated by ego instead of coordination, projects suffer.

Jazz also taught me that creativity without structure quickly becomes chaos.

Great jazz musicians improvise freely, but they still operate within a framework of rhythm, harmony, tempo, and form. In many ways, architecture works the same way. Creative ideas only become successful buildings when supported by systems, discipline, documentation, and accountability.

Over the years, I have emphasized clarity, coordination, and consistency in both professional practice and architectural education. Young architects often want to jump immediately into design expression, but successful architecture also depends on organization, process management, technical understanding, and communication. A beautiful concept that cannot be built, coordinated, approved, or maintained ultimately fails its purpose.

This balance between creativity and structure is especially important today. The architectural profession is operating in an increasingly fast-paced environment shaped by shifting regulations, economic pressures, technological changes, and accelerated project schedules. Architects are constantly adapting to revised codes, changing client expectations, construction challenges, and evolving technologies such as BIM, artificial intelligence, and digital collaboration platforms.

In many respects, architecture has become a form of controlled improvisation.

No project proceeds exactly as planned. Field conditions change. Budgets shift. Materials become unavailable. Agencies revise requirements. Consultants disagree. Contractors propose substitutions. Unexpected problems emerge during construction. The ability to adapt without losing focus has become one of the defining characteristics of effective leadership.

This is another lesson jazz reinforces beautifully. During a live performance, musicians constantly respond to one another in real time. A solo may extend unexpectedly. The rhythm may shift. A mistake may occur. Experienced musicians do not panic. They adjust, recover, and move forward while maintaining the integrity of the performance. Good architectural leadership requires the same composure and flexibility.

Teaching architecture students for many years has also strengthened my belief that leadership is ultimately about mentorship and legacy. Buildings matter, but people matter more. A successful practice should not only produce completed projects; it should also help develop future professionals who are thoughtful, capable, ethical, and collaborative.

Many younger professionals entering the field today are highly talented and technologically skilled, but they are also entering a profession that can sometimes feel fragmented and transactional. Leadership requires more than technical production. It requires patience, accountability, integrity, communication, and the willingness to guide others through challenges rather than simply criticize mistakes.

I have also come to appreciate the importance of community engagement in both architecture and leadership. Architecture should never become isolated from the people and neighborhoods it serves. Whether through teaching, public tours, preservation advocacy, or local professional organizations, architects have a responsibility to remain connected to the civic and cultural life of their communities.

As architects, we shape not only buildings, but experiences, relationships, and public spaces that influence how people live and interact every day.

The best jazz musicians understand that great performances are never about one individual alone. They depend on collaboration, responsiveness, discipline, and trust between everyone involved. Architecture leadership is no different.

In both music and architecture, success comes from balancing structure with creativity, confidence with humility, and leadership with listening. Those lessons have guided me throughout my career, and they remain just as important today as when I first began studying music and architecture many years ago.

William Gati is principal of Architecture Studios, Kew Gardens, N.Y.