Recently I began taking an Improv Class through my town’s community   programs.  This is my 3^rd class in the past year.  I guess you could say I’m hooked.  When I’m in class, I feel like I am 9 years old again playing with my friends.   Last night, I was transformed into a Hula Dancer with a lisp and then to a one-legged Russian Spy with top secret toothpaste.  I have finally found a place where it’s acceptable to “make things up” on the fly and be respected for being silly, creative and thinking out of the box.  So what does all this have to do with leadership?  How can mastering improvisation skills help you as a leader?  Improvisation is a useful tool for leaders on many levels.

Practicing Improv sharpens your communication skills. It forces you to listen closely to the other people so you can play off of each others cues.  In addition, it promotes the acceptance of other people’s ideas and challenges you to work with the information they provide.  In business your ability to listen fully and be open to others ideas is critical. By accepting feedback, you encourage others to want share their ideas more freely.  You may not choose to implement the ideas offered, but you openness to listening will drive communication and the sharing of information

Improv stretches your creativity and encourages the development of on the spot thinking. When was the last time you had to think on your feet and respond to a question you were not expecting?  Maybe it was at a team meeting, during a presentation, with a client or perhaps a conversation with your boss.  Everyday we are faced with situations that require on the spot thinking. Improv exercises and strengthens  our “creativity” and “quick thinking” muscles.  If you want to “stay in shape” you work out to stretch and get strong.  The brain may not be a muscle, but it still improves with exercise.

Making decisions and embracing risk is critical in leadership and management. An organization can not move forward if its leaders are afraid to make decisions.  Improv requires participants to make decisions and take risks.  When playing a scene, deciding whether you want to be a cowboy or a mad scientist waiting at a bus stop with a nun may not be an earth shattering decision to make, but none the less, there you are in front of your audience, forced to commit to your role.  It takes courage and trust. What a great exercise in commitment and decision making!

Improv is the ultimate teambuilding experience. It requires the players to communicate, cooperate and trust each other.  The more you know your team mates, the easier it is to do a successful scene.  One of the golden rules in improv is that you want to try to make the other person look good.  It’s not all about you.  Imagine if we could work with others with that goal in mind… to make others be successful!  Wouldn’t that make a huge impact in team effectiveness, attitude and efficiency?

So call me silly, crazy or quirky, I am convinced that Improv builds great leadership qualities.  If you are looking to sharpen you game, try playing at Improv.  I promise you it will be fun and you won’t be disappointed.  And if you’d like to improve the communication and leaderships skills of your team, consider having The Coaching Compass facilitate “Acting Up” our Improv Teambuilding program.  Click here to read about it.