What the Grateful Dead Can Teach Us About Resilience
If you know me well, or probably even if you've only been following me here for a few months, you've picked up on the fact that I am a 'Deadhead' (for those unfamiliar- a fan of the band The Grateful Dead). Music is a big part of my own self-care and resilience practice, especially enjoying a live concert, like Dead and Company. As someone who struggles with anxiety, it can be incredibly difficult to turn my mind off, but I've found that, surprisingly, a jam band concert is just the ticket to turn off those inner voices and live in the moment.
My husband, Mason, and I at a Dead & Co show in Phoenix in 2021.
I am lucky enough to have seen Dead and Company kick off their most recent run at the Sphere, and while I was there - I thought, "Woah- what an amazing lesson in resilience! I've got to write an article about it!"(Yes, I think of article ideas at concerts- feel free to judge- I'm judging myself)
You might be thinking, "Stephanie, what does a psychedelic rock band from the 1960s have to teach us about resilience in the modern workplace?"
So much more than you think.
The Grateful Dead—and its many iterations over the decades (Further, Ratdog, Dead & Company, etc.)—didn’t just survive massive disruption. They thrived through it. When most bands would’ve called it quits after a member’s death, public criticism, or creative burnout, the Dead simply... kept going. Reinventing. Reimagining. Reconnecting.
In a world obsessed with disruption, the Grateful Dead modeled something different: endurance.
Lesson 1: Psychological Safety Makes Innovation Possible
The Dead's magic isn't just musical—it is relational. The group fostered a level of trust and cohesion that allowed for real-time improvisation night after night. They fundamentally changed the way music was being played and how it could be played and combined some completely different styles and backgrounds. Mistakes aren't punished; they are part of the process. When a member flubs a line or transition at a concert, the crowd cheers! The ability to fail in public and keep going is a masterclass in psychological safety.
In the workplace, we might call this “failing forward.” The Dead were doing it before it had a name.
Lesson 2: Adaptability Without Losing the Core
I've had the pleasure of reading a few memoirs by Grateful Dead members, and y'all- this band went through it. Losing bandmates and friends, addiction, a manager that stole all their money and skipped town... the list goes on. If you're looking at a group that has experienced some of the big challenges of life, this group is well acquainted. As we know, hardships are how we build resilience- including as a group.
Perhaps the most notable adaptation, after Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995, the band didn’t dissolve—they reconfigured. Members formed new bands (like Ratdog and Further), collaborated in different combinations, and found new ways to bring the music to life. With Dead & Company, they even brought in John Mayer—a Gen X pop-blues guitarist who, on paper, shouldn’t have worked. But it did. Because they stayed true to the spirit of the music, not the static version of it.
Resilient organizations do the same. They adapt their leadership, culture, and methods—without abandoning their why.
Dead & Company at the Sphere in 2024.
Lesson 3: Community Is a Strategic Asset
From left, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead on Haight Street in San Francisco in 1968. Photo: Jim Marshall Photography LLC
The Dead cultivated one of the most loyal fan bases in history—not just because of the music but because of the experience. Show after show, fans were invited into a participatory, decentralized, and even chaotic environment. They created the culture with the band.
Resilient organizations know: culture isn’t something you write on the wall. It’s something you co-create every day.
Lesson 4: Reinvention Is Not Failure
Most companies fear change because they associate reinvention with failure. The Dead show us that reinvention is resilience. The names changed—Further, Ratdog, Dead & Company—but the values and music still live on, creating something far beyond what anyone probably expected when they started jamming together six decades ago.
Change is hard. Reinvention requires grief. But it also offers a chance to carry forward what matters most.
Final Note: Resilience is a Jam, Not a Solo
In business, we’re often told that resilience is about being tough. But the Grateful Dead remind us: real resilience is about connection. It’s about playing the long game, listening deeply, and showing up and making changes, even when things fall apart.
You don’t need to be a Deadhead to appreciate that kind of wisdom.
So, maybe the next time your team faces uncertainty, ask yourself—not “how do we fix this,” but “how do we jam through this together?”
Because resilience, like music, is a practice.
And just in case you're curious about The Dead's music now- I've made you a playlist to check them out (no shuffling this one- trust me!) . Listen here!