Using Improvisation to Develop Leadership for a Volatile World

Abstract

Many scholars have noted the critical skills needed for leaders in the face of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). These skills include self-awareness, listening, communication, adaptability, critical thinking, and collaboration. Students who are able to develop these skills would be better equipped to lead in settings where the answers-and even the questions-are unknown. This paper details an approach to developing leadership skills to prepare undergraduate leadership students for a VUCA world, through the use of a classroom workshop on improvisational comedy. I have refined this improv workshop over sixteen course iterations spanning the past nine semesters, and students commonly point to the workshop as one of the most challenging and rewarding class sessions of the course. In this paper I review the literature that has informed my approach, explain the learning objectives addressed by the improv workshop, describe the approach I use, share quantitative and qualitative data that illustrate the success of the approach, and share my lessons learned, all in service of supporting colleagues who wish to try this approach."That contemporary organizations face high levels of complexity, a rapid rate of change and increased ambiguity has become, perhaps, a truism. " Issue StatementAs nicely captured in the quote above from Gagnon, Vough, and Nickerson (2012, p. 300), it is a taken-forgranted assumption that organizational life is marked by what the United States Army calls VUCA: volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (Gerras, 2010). Every generation can reasonably claim theirs is the most VUCA yet, stretching back even before the advent of the printing press, the steam engine, radio communication, and other transformational technologies. Today is no different; we live in the most VUCA world (so far), and we must equip students with the tools they need to lead in this world.

Skills Development through Virtual Art-Based Learning: Learning Outcomes of an Advanced Training Program for Project Managers

“…For project management education and training in particular, there remains a research gap in the merit of improvisational theater. Improvisation techniques offer a direct approach to challenges of the VUCA world [132]. However, the strength of art lies in its non-deterministic nature.…”

Leadership learning through games in co‐curricular settings

“…Improvisational theater games have become an increasingly popular way to develop employee's innovation, creativity, collaboration, and even customer service skills within the corporate world and are now gaining traction within higher education (Dufresne, 2020). Research on the use of improv within higher education pointed to several studies where improvisation was successfully used to teach essential skills such as helping nursing and pharmacy students practice effective patient communication (Boesen et al., 2009; Higgins & Nesbitt, 2021).…”

“…Research on the use of improv within higher education pointed to several studies where improvisation was successfully used to teach essential skills such as helping nursing and pharmacy students practice effective patient communication (Boesen et al., 2009; Higgins & Nesbitt, 2021). Leadership educators can incorporate improv theater games to help students get out of their comfort zones, practice adaptability, and become more confident acting in uncertain situations (Dufresne, 2020). A recommendation for those unfamiliar with improv games is to collaborate with a campus or community improv troupe to bring in an increased level of credibility and comfort to participants (Dufresne, 2020).…”

“…Leadership educators can incorporate improv theater games to help students get out of their comfort zones, practice adaptability, and become more confident acting in uncertain situations (Dufresne, 2020). A recommendation for those unfamiliar with improv games is to collaborate with a campus or community improv troupe to bring in an increased level of credibility and comfort to participants (Dufresne, 2020).…”