Go Get Weird: 7 leadership lessons from a kids sketch show

Get that penguin out of here.

There I was, both laughing out loud and self-aware. Watching other adults’ kids act out on stage was not a Friday night I’d ever envisioned for myself.

A couple of weeks ago a group of six actors between nine and thirteen years old performed a 30-minute show of entirely original sketch comedy in front of a live audience for the first time. I was lucky enough to be invited to volunteer at their performance because their teacher is also my acting teacher. (Jeremy Kruse / Gorton Center (Lake Forest, IL))

The kids fumbled through a few moments, nailed others, and walked backwards into surprise laughs. My default is to notice and celebrate courage. Believe me, these kids have it. But there’s more to be gleaned than “be courageous” from these kids, the setting, and their teachers.

I jotted down a few of the lessons I was reminded of below. If you’re a curious leader who seeks inspiration everywhere, this should be fun:

• Stay naive - knowing as little as possible allows you to see all that is possible.

• Let go - attachment is a choice. Where it’s safe to do so, choose freedom.

• Be eager to fail - discovery comes from effort and most effort is imperfect; make the effort and find the good stuff.

• …And when you are failing, improvise - hold onto that naive and freeing belief that if you just keep trying different things you’ll find what you’re looking for.

• Practice - find the place where and people with whom you can consistently hone your craft.

• Create safe space and belonging - there is no substitute for it. Period.

• Don’t be afraid to surprise yourself - life’s not worth boring yourself to death, go get weird! See what happens!

And as the mother of one of the actors told me after the show, “Harriet will have lots of other people tell her to be less her, so I am not going to.” 

Surround yourself with people who want you to be as much of you as you want to be too.

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KNOW AND GO.