Speaker 1: Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
Speaker 1: performance through strong human relations, team building, and Goala giving.
Speaker 1: This is the Seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host
Speaker 1: Paul Fellavoldo.
Speaker 2: Hello everyone, and welcome to the Seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
Speaker 2: It's episode two seventy four, and today we're going to
Speaker 2: look at leadership through a completely different lens stand up comedy.
Speaker 2: And at first glance, you might not think leadership and
Speaker 2: stand up comedy have much in common, but if you
Speaker 2: look deeper, comedians and leaders share some of the same
Speaker 2: essential skills the ability to communicate, adapt, connect with an audience,
Speaker 2: and handle high pressure situations. So what can leaders learn
Speaker 2: from stand up comedians? A lot more than you might think,
Speaker 2: so let's break it down. First is mastering the art
Speaker 2: of communication. Great comedians have a way of captivating an audience.
Speaker 2: They don't just tell jokes, they tell stories. The best
Speaker 2: leaders do the same thing. They know how to read
Speaker 2: the room. A comedian consents when a joke isn't landing
Speaker 2: and adjust in real time. Leaders need to do the
Speaker 2: same thing in meetings, presentations, and conversations. If your message
Speaker 2: isn't resonating, shift your approach, and they use pauses effectively.
Speaker 2: Comedians understand that timing is everything. A well placed pause
Speaker 2: adds emphasis in leadership. Using silence strategically can make your
Speaker 2: words more impactful, and they simplify complex ideas. The best
Speaker 2: comedians take everyday experiences and make them relatable. Leaders need
Speaker 2: to do the same with company vision, strategy, and expectations.
Speaker 2: If your message is too complex, your team won't connect
Speaker 2: with it. The leadership takeaway if you want to be
Speaker 2: a more effective leader, work on your communication skills. Don't
Speaker 2: just give directives, tell compelling stories, use humor where appropriate,
Speaker 2: and make your message clear. Next is handling pressure and
Speaker 2: public scrutiny. Few things are more intimidating than standing in
Speaker 2: front of a live audience trying to make them laugh.
Speaker 2: Comedians thrive under pressure, and so do great leaders. They
Speaker 2: embrace failure. Every comedian bombs at some point, but instead
Speaker 2: of quitting, they analyze what went wrong and improve. Leaders
Speaker 2: need the same mindset. Failure is just feedback. They take
Speaker 2: criticism in stride. Comedians face Heckler's bad reviews and tough crowds,
Speaker 2: and leaders face tough employees, critical stakeholders in workplace challenges.
Speaker 2: The best approach don't take it personally, adjust, respond and
Speaker 2: keep moving forward, and they improvise. Sometimes a joke doesn't
Speaker 2: land and a comedian has to pivot. In real time leadership,
Speaker 2: unexpected challenges will arise, budgets get cut, employees quit, plans
Speaker 2: fall through. Being able to adapt on the spot is
Speaker 2: key the leadership takeaway. Develop thick skin, embrace failure, and
Speaker 2: learn how to think on your feet. The ability to
Speaker 2: pivot under pressure will make you a stronger, more resilient leader.
Speaker 2: Third is building connection and influence. The best comedians make
Speaker 2: their audience feel like they're in on the joke. The
Speaker 2: best leaders make their team feel like they're part of
Speaker 2: something bigger. They relate to their audience. Comedians talk about
Speaker 2: real life experiences that people can relate to. Leaders should
Speaker 2: do the same. Acknowledge the challenges your team faces and
Speaker 2: show them you understand, and they make people feel something.
Speaker 2: People don't just remember what a comedian says. They remember
Speaker 2: how that comedian made them feel, and the same goes
Speaker 2: for leadership. People won't always remember your words, but they
Speaker 2: will remember how you made them feel, and they use
Speaker 2: humor as a leadership tool. Humor makes people more receptive
Speaker 2: to your message. A well timed joke can ease tension,
Speaker 2: boost morale, and make you more approachable. The leadership takeaway
Speaker 2: here is if you want to inspire and influence your team,
Speaker 2: make them feel seen, understood, and valued, connect with them
Speaker 2: on a personal level, and use humor to strengthen relationships.
Speaker 2: Next is the power of storytelling. Every great comedy routine
Speaker 2: is built around storytelling. Comedians don't just tell jokes. They
Speaker 2: set the scene, build anticipation, and then deliver the punchline.
Speaker 2: They make dry topics interesting. A comedian can take a
Speaker 2: mundane topic like grocery shopping and turn it into a
Speaker 2: hilarious story. Leaders need to do the same. If your
Speaker 2: message is boring, your team will tune out and they
Speaker 2: control the energy of the room. Comedians use voice, inflection,
Speaker 2: body language, and pacing to keep an audience engaged. Leaders
Speaker 2: should apply these same techniques in meetings and presentations, and
Speaker 2: they know when to end on a high note. If
Speaker 2: you've ever noticed how a great comedian leaves the stage
Speaker 2: on their best joke, leaders should aim to end meetings, speeches,
Speaker 2: and even one on one conversations on a strong, positive note.
Speaker 2: Leadership take away become a master storyteller, whether you're presenting
Speaker 2: a vision, explaining a challenge, or motivating your team. Structure
Speaker 2: your message in a way that crabs attention and keeps
Speaker 2: people engaged. And the final one is owning the room
Speaker 2: and commanding presence. Stand up comedians don't just deliver lines.
Speaker 2: They own the stage. They use body language, movement in
Speaker 2: eye contact to command attention. They walk with confidence the
Speaker 2: way a comedian steps on stage set that's the tone.
Speaker 2: Leaders should be just as intentional with their presence, walk
Speaker 2: with purpose, make eye contact, and speak with authority. They
Speaker 2: engage their audience. A good comedian interacts with the crowd,
Speaker 2: ask questions and makes people feel involved. Leaders should do
Speaker 2: the same. Engage with employees, ask for their input, and
Speaker 2: make them feel like they're a part of the conversation,
Speaker 2: and they leave people wanting more. The best comedians leave
Speaker 2: the stage before the audience loses interest. Leaders should know
Speaker 2: when to end a speech, cut a meeting short, or
Speaker 2: let employees take the lead. The leadership takeaway here is
Speaker 2: own the room, be intentional about your presence, and engage
Speaker 2: your audience in a way that makes them feel involved.
Speaker 2: Leadership and stand up comedy might seem like completely different worlds,
Speaker 2: but they share some of the same core principles. Communicate
Speaker 2: clearly and effectively, handle pressure and critic with confidence. Build
Speaker 2: connection through relatability and humor, Use storytelling to engage and inspire,
Speaker 2: and own the room with presence and energy. So my
Speaker 2: challenge for you, take one lesson from today's episode and
Speaker 2: apply it to your leadership style, whether it's using humor
Speaker 2: to connect with your team, improving your storytelling, or learning
Speaker 2: to pivot under pressure. Embrace the mindset of a stand
Speaker 2: up comedian and watch how it transforms your leadership. This
Speaker 2: has been the seven Minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank
Speaker 2: you for listening.
Speaker 1: For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.