Training & Workshops

Research on the link between successful leaders and mindfulness is clear: the more a leader is present with their people, the better they will perform. Being present is also a critical skill for successful improvisers - if you allow yourself to get consumed by thoughts and planning, you won’t be able to react to what’s happening in the moment.

Using principles and exercises from the schools of both mindfulness and improv, this workshop will teach participants how to be more present with their teams and themselves. Participants will walk away with a 30-day action plan and a take-home guidebook they can use to cement these practices.

One of the core principles taught in any Level One improv class is that Mistakes Are Gifts. In fact, the funniest, most impactful improv scenes typically come from highlighting a mistake (rather than trying to hide it). Similarly, the most skilled leaders understand that failures are simply prerequisites for success - and that fully embracing them can get you there much more quickly and effectively. As IBM’s Thomas Watson, Sr. once said, “The fastest way to succeed is to double your rate of failure.”

In this workshop participants will use improv exercises and partner collaboration to learn how to increase their own resilience - and translate their mistakes into solutions they could never have thought up otherwise.

According to Jimmy Carrane (a well-known improviser), improv can make you more creative in 3 ways:

1) It helps you learn how to create something from nothing.

2) It helps you stop judging your own thoughts.

3) It helps you take in the ideas of others.

Participants of this workshop will learn how presence is the foundation of creativity, and come up with an action plan to make time and space for creative thinking. Next, they will practice exercises to help them build on the ideas of others in their group. Finally, they will walk away with ideas for building a greater sense of play in their work - ultimately leading to greater creativity.

The emphasis on emotional intelligence in leadership is here to stay. And with good reason - emotional intelligence accounts for up to 60% of job performance at the top supervisory and CEO levels. Emotionally intelligent leaders are defined by their self-awareness, empathy, self-regulation, motivation, social skills, expressiveness and perceptiveness.

Improv fundamentally teaches participants how to become more supportive, emotionally intelligent leaders. Through a series of modules and exercises, they will learn how to grow their self-awareness, active listening, emotional observation, and ability to suspend judgement.

According to Bill George (author of the book Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value), authentic leaders are driven by a moral and ethical purpose and never lose sight of their core values and principles. They lead with their hearts, cultivate long-term relationships and demonstrate excellence through self-discipline.

Workshop participants will learn how they can become more authentic leaders by using foundational improv skills like active listening, trusting one’s instincts and relationship building.