Kelly Leonard spent most of the 90s and 2000s as an executive producer at the world famous Second City improv theater in Chicago. He is personally responsible for hiring Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler, and Steve Carell. 

He also wrote the book Yes, And…, a book on creativity and collaboration in the workplace, based on lessons from improv comedy and Second City.

In this conversation, Kelly talks us through Second City’s Pivot into virtual improv performances during the 2020 pandemic. We learn about the difference between improv and spontaneity, how to gain agency over our emotions, a brilliant exercise you can do to achieve clarity and mental calmness in difficult times, why he describes COVID as a period of “sway,”  and of course, he teaches us the “yes, and…” principle.

This was a blast, and a perfect way to close out an absolutely wild year of Pivot stories.

Connect with Kelly:

• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/klsecondcity/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-leonard-he-him-his-b8495047/
• Podcast: https://www.secondcityworks.com/podcast

Watch instead of listen: https://beyondnetworkingpodcast.com/kelly-leonard/

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