Recently I went to an Improv Comedy Club with my wife. Since we had the opportunity to be away from our children we thought going someplace to get a laugh would be a great experience. Because I constantly think about things through a leadership lens I discovered three leadership lessons from this experience.
Energy
As the evening began the host came up on stage and created an environment of high energy. He got people clapping and had people stand up and dance. This was designed to be an entertaining evening and he had to set the tone and create the right “vibe” in the room. If we have a title or position of leadership we have a responsibility to set the tone in a room.
We can walk in with an overbearing scowl or we can be upbeat and full of life. If the meeting has a serious topic, we set that tone. If the meeting is a strategic brainstorming session, then we need to create an open atmosphere. The leader creates the energy and can influence the energy of a meeting often through both verbal and non-verbal communication.
Engagement
If you are unfamiliar with Improv, part of the experience is audience participation. Before each sketch the host asks the audience for words or may have someone come up to participate. This creates an environment where the audience is part of the experience instead of passively watching. Effective leaders draw out their team members to get them engaged in the conversation.
Have you been in a meeting where no one talks except the person leading? These meetings are difficult to remain engaged in. If you lead a meeting where you are the only one talking you may want to consider ways to engage your team more. Maybe the meeting should only be an e-mail or brief stand up conversation. Possibly preparing questions related to what you want feedback on will help you increase engagement. Each person on your team has value they can bring so figure out how to best engage with them.
Boundaries
We went to the early show on purpose because it was a family friendly experience. At the beginning of the show the host asked for people to judge the competition. One individual was a young man around ten years old. The host did this to help remind everyone this was a family experience. As the host and leader, he had to create a boundary and establish the rules of our time together.
Some of us may not like creating boundaries because of our temperament or other reasons. Boundaries help provide freedom like a fence around a playground. When the team understands the expectations and boundaries they have more freedom to get creative. Create the boundary and free up your team for innovation.
How are you doing in these three areas. What is one step you can take today to grow in one of these three areas. Need help creating an engaging environment? Contact me about facilitating The John Maxwell Team Leadership Game to open up conversation and increase engagement on your team. In the meantime, Lead Well.
© 2021 Wheeler Coaching Systems, All Rights Reserved