The Share-Out #9: Make Others Shine – Improvisation in Leadership

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a course in improvisational theatre, or “improv” as it is often called. And as usual, when you do something solely for fun, it also tends to be very helpful and inspirational for life in general – because you get access to parts of yourself that you tend not to use on a daily basis as part of your profession.

I realized that a lot of the perspectives and approaches that underpin improv as an art, are also very useful in all manners of leadership and collaboration.?

Because first of all, let’s face it: Leadership is about improvising. You might think it is all about planning, preparing and focusing. But – in the words of Mike Tyson – everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. And even if you don’t get treated quite as harshly as that, there are always circumstances that force you to adapt to the realities of the world beyond your own influence. ?

If you are expecting the unexpected and are trained to improvise, you will be able to move into every situation with a higher sense of calm and confidence. Come what may, you will have the inner safety to handle life as it occurs to you.

I would like to share with you some of the liberating thoughts that are an innate part of the improv culture, which I now incorporate when supporting teams and organizations in becoming better together.

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Yes, AND…

The golden rule of improv: Accept and embrace what is handed to you in the situation, and then choose to add your own perspective. And frankly, this is also a wonderful way to lead change or create an environment of psychological safety. We tend to say “yes, but…”, which is a defensive way of saying no. Yet, by instead fully accepting what IS, and then adding your own leadership and intentions to it, you are able to move forward together in both a creative and collaborative way.

Don’t get married to your idea

When leading in a fast-paced change environment, killing your darlings and letting go of things are key behaviours. The same goes for improv: Not getting too obsessed with your initial idea is fundamental for progression, agility and genuine co-creation.

A mistake is the start of something new

“Love your mistakes” is a mantra in the improv world, and you certainly get used to making mistakes when indulging in staging improvised scenes. The true potential lies in incorporating this liberating belief into your everyday leadership: Take a step, hone the errors made, and start off from a new and creative angle that you never could have planned from the start.

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Send and receive at the same time

When training these techniques, I really felt an enormous leadership potential: Being able to simultaneously listen actively to everyone else in the room, at the same time making them acknowledge you and your contribution. When you do that, a discussion changes from being a tug-of-war, into a dynamic dance where everyone helps each other find the next step, leading and following seamlessly in every moment.

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Improvise at the top of your intelligence

This includes to deeply and genuinely be at your best at any given time, and not ever dumb yourself down or take on a role that is not you. And let me tell you, if this was the case in every management team I meet, they would be so much more effective and stimulating environments for everyone.

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Make each other shine

Last but not least - I really love this one. In improv, as well as in leadership, if we take the opportunity of making each other shine, we will reach so much further than if we get stuck in the individualistic perspective of just making ourselves stand out. By embracing the perspective of making others shine, you will hold the space for joint development and true team spirit – paving the way for completely new ways of solving problems and reaching goals.

All these perspectives are highly effective leadership mindsets, and I strongly encourage you to adapt them in your everyday life as a leader – or parent, or friend, or human being in general.?

As a consequence of the influence improv has had on me recently, I also hereby declare that this will be my last written ShareOut in a while. I have realized writing these texts gets me into improductive overthinking and over-explanation.

Instead I will turn to other forms of communication where I will be able to use the power of improvisation to share my thoughts with you in more creative and energizing ways. I hope you will appreciate it - stay tuned for The Share-Out in 2025!

See you next year – have a good time!?

Ola

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Further reading on improv and its potential for leadership, collaboration and trust:

Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration-Lessons from The Second City: Leonard, Kelly, Yorton, Tom: 9780062248541: Amazon.com: Books?

Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre (Performance Books) : Johnstone, Keith: Amazon.co.uk: Books