I’ll easily cop to the music geek label. So yes, I went to see Steely Dan perform last night at Northrup Auditorium during their 2009 Rent Party Tour.

Here’s the thing: They’re the band you want to emulate.

Forget style of music for a second and focus on performance. Last night Steely Dan’s line up had three backup singers, four horns plus guitar, bass, keyboards and drums—in addition to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. So, 11 people on stage. That’s not easy to harness consistently, yet—every one of them was a killer, and team player.

I don’t love all of Steely Dan’s music. I do appreciate their subtle arrangements, and the opportunities their compositions afford dynamically. But as I said, forget about style.

This was a very tightly knit, empathetic group on stage. They could collectively turn on a dime. They knew how to blend and support each other, or uplift each other at a moment’s notice. It was evident they’d done the hard work to learn the material—their individual roles—and that they’d rehearsed as a unit. At every turn, they brought out the full potential of each song and the band playing it.

How many organizations do you know with that level of expertise, flexibility and strength?

If there is a lesson here, it’s in casting for expert soloists who can integrate and truly make the group better than the sum of its parts. And don’t forget the importance of practicing as a group, so you’ve got experience succeeding and failing—and you’re better prepared to rock the house.