Kelly Leonard, VP of The Second City, discusses how improv comedy can enhance creativity, connection, and leadership. Topics include reframing challenges, building a culture of radical creativity, tools for deepening relationships, and approaching grief. Great for leaders, those seeking a fresh perspective, and improv enthusiasts.
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Improvisation teaches valuable skills in creativity, collaboration, and transformation, allowing individuals to thrive in an unpredictable world.
The skills developed in improvisation, such as active listening, a yes-and mentality, and adaptability, lay the foundation for successful leadership and teamwork in any context.
Fostering a culture of playfulness and psychological safety in organizations can enhance creativity, collaboration, and teamwork, leading to more successful and adaptive organizations.
Deep dives
Importance of improvisation in comedy
Improvisation is a key element in comedy, allowing performers to navigate through mess and struggle and find humor in the process. The executive director of learning and applied improvisation at Second City, Kelly Leonard, explains that improv isn't just about laughs. It teaches valuable skills in creativity, collaboration, and transformation. By using principles like "Yes, and", co-creation, and leading by listening, improv builds leaders, innovators, and professionals who can thrive in an unpredictable world.
The origins and power of improvisation
Improvisation has deep roots, originating from the work of social worker Viola Spolin in the 1920s and 30s. It became an important tool for helping young people and immigrants assimilate by developing listening, empathy, cooperation, and collaboration skills. Over the years, improvisation has been used at Second City to create award-winning comedy shows. It has become a powerful method for practicing and developing skills in communication, decision-making, and creativity. Improvisation is about learning to play with uncertainty, embracing failure, and generating a multitude of ideas to find the best solutions.
The connection between improvisation and leadership
Improvisation offers valuable insights for leadership, collaboration, and teamwork. The principle of following the fear encourages individuals to embrace risk and uncertainty, leading to growth and innovation. In improvisation, everyone on stage is a leader, and the ability to save and support one another is crucial. This collaborative approach builds trust, promotes effective communication, and helps individuals work well with others. The skills developed in improvisation, such as active listening, a yes-and mentality, and adaptability, lay the foundation for successful leadership and teamwork in any context.
Creating a culture of play and psychological safety
To foster the benefits of improvisation in business, organizations need to create a culture that supports playfulness and psychological safety. This involves creating spaces where people feel comfortable taking risks, sharing ideas, and embracing failure. It requires giving individuals the autonomy to explore new possibilities and providing a system that supports and encourages innovative thinking. Whether in startups or multinational corporations, incorporating improvisational practices can enhance creativity, collaboration, and teamwork, leading to more successful and adaptive organizations.
The Origin of Psychological Safety
Psychological safety, often associated with Google's Project Aristotle, was first observed by Amy Edmondson during her postdoc at Harvard. The study focused on nursing pods in a hospital and found that the meanest and toughest nurses reported the least mistakes, while the kind and empathetic nurses reported the most. This challenged the assumption that collaborative environments always lead to fewer mistakes. The key takeaway is that psychological safety creates a space where individuals feel safe to make mistakes and report them, which ultimately leads to learning and improvement.
The Power of Connection and Improvisation
Comedy, connection, and improvisation have a profound impact on relationships and personal growth. Improv teaches skills such as perspective taking, listening, having someone's back, and trusting. It provides a safe and supportive environment where individuals can navigate through mess and struggle. Comedy, when used effectively, is a tool for truth-telling, highlighting flaws, and bringing people together. The future of comedy and technology lies in their symbiotic relationship, with AI adding to the storytelling and problem-solving abilities while human connection remains essential for deep engagement and meaningful experiences.
Could improv comedy be the key to unlocking human potential?
Our guest today isn't just tossing around this idea—he's used the alchemy of the improv stage to forge groundbreaking strategies that are sure to ripple through business, sport, and life itself.
Let's set the stage for Kelly Leonard. His title—Vice President of Creative Strategy, Innovation, and Business Development—only begins to capture his role at The Second City. And this isn't just any theater. It's a global comedy powerhouse that gave us legends like Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler, to name a few.
Yet the improv stage is merely a starting point for Kelly's broader mission. He's on an epic journey to inspire and empower people to use improvisation as a tool for positive change and growth. Kelly's best-selling book, 'Yes, And,' and a pioneering partnership with the University of Chicago reflect this mission—bridging behavioral science with the principles of improv.
I love how Kelly offers us unconventional wisdom on reframing challenges, daring to risk, and savoring the present moment in all its unpredictability.
And our conversation goes deep. We explore thoughtful leadership, building a culture that unlocks radical creativity, tools to deepen relationships and even some remarkably profound ways to approach grief.
So, if you're leading a team, wanting to live fiercely in the now, or simply searching for a fresh lens on life's curveballs, this is one episode you won't want to miss.
