SHRM26 Debrief · Modern Employee Experience · #1577
Lead with Presence: What Improv Comedy Teaches Us About Leadership and Confidence
with Alan Mueller
"Comedy is about getting a joke, humor is about building connection, and to me, improv is one of the best vehicles for humor."
What it was about
The core skills of improv comedy — listening, "yes, and," cultural awareness, suspending ego, and building shared expectations. are directly transferable to leadership presence, team trust, and public-speaking confidence.
By the numbers
70%
Estimated share of communication that is non-verbal, cited from communication studies research.
Key notes
- Practice "yes, and": acknowledge and build on an idea instead of shutting it down, even if you don't ultimately agree with the direction.
- Listen to absorb, not to respond — pause and rephrase what you heard ("if I understand you, you're saying...") before reacting to make people feel heard.
- Establish shared expectations/ground rules with your team before trying to use humor, so jokes land as connection rather than sarcasm or offense.
The contrarian takeThe speaker argues most self-report skill assessments (e.g., asking how good you are at something) are notoriously flawed, and that instruments like Myers-Briggs work better precisely because they ask about preferences rather than competence.
Take this back Monday
Do this for your team
In your next team meeting, respond to one idea with 'yes, and' before weighing in on feasibility, and ask why it might work.
Say this in your next leadership meeting
70% of communication is non-verbal, so we're coaching managers on presence and listening to absorb, not just what they say.
Watch out for
- Chasing the joke instead of committing to the scene/situation (prioritizing comedy over building genuine connection).
- Listening to respond rather than listening to absorb, which causes leaders to miss what's actually being said.
- Shutting down an idea immediately by pointing out how impractical it is, rather than asking questions to find value in it.
Fun fact · Alan Mueller
Before leadership consulting, Dr. Mueller spent nearly a decade performing professional improv comedy with an award-winning troupe.
If this landed, see these
↳ Go deeperHuman Connection, Upgraded: The Future of Virtual BelongingTurns 'yes, and' listening into concrete facilitation techniques for hybrid and remote rooms.⇄ The counterpointWhat You Need to Know about Neurodiversity in the WorkplaceComplicates the presence playbook: neurodivergent communication styles don't fit one universal script.✦ The unexpected oneAre You Okay? Fight Burnout Using PlaySame tool, different prescription: playful improv here, play as burnout recovery there.