Book excerpt: Music. Not Noise leverages over thirty years of experience, identifying and addressing subtle cues leaders often easily overlook as they guide their organizations through constant and controlled growth. It highlights the importance of synchronized passion, insight, and foresight in creating harmony, contrasting it with the dissonance often found in less cohesive efforts. Like music, business is a blend of art and craft. Whether new or established, for profit or not-for-profit, organizations often struggle to maintain harmony through their people, processes, and systems. Successful leaders are those who simplify complexities and possess the vision and courage to see what others may not to ensure the organization remains in tune. Acknowledging that all organizations eventually face adversity at some level, Music. Not Noise emphasizes the importance of agility and adaptability, drawing on examples of once-prominent organizations that failed to adapt and eventually succumbed to their own noisiness, as well as examples of some that succeeded. In essence, Music. Not Noise delves into the intricacies of leadership and the art of discerning when an organization's performance deviates from music to noise. It advocates for a refined instinct that goes beyond textbooks and conventional wisdom, emphasizing a nuanced understanding of an organization's harmonious functioning and the necessity for leaders to transform noise into music.