Transformational Energy Leadership

Play is the core of our being. Before we could even communicate, we could play, and that playfulness is part of our evolutionary progress. Dr. Stuart Brown, in his incredible work, “Play, xxx” explores how playfulness led us to larger brain size, evolutionary status and social growth. Play is also at the core of improvisation. Improv is an art form where actors arrive onstage without a script, props or costumes, and they must create a show onstage out of thin air. Playfulness makes it possible for improvisers to accomplish such a seemingly impossible task. The intersection between play and improvisation is one of the most compelling ways to consider how to be better at everything. When we play, we relax, laugh, make mistakes and let down our guard. When we improvise, we freely make up ideas, say Yes to any possibility, and collaborate to build on the ideas of others. Those two activities, when combined, make for a powerful combination of authenticity and innovation.