Improvisation Exercises for Leadership and Speaking Skills

By Jamie Gerelli


Details of many of these Improvisation games can be found at (ClicK) Improv Encyclopedia


1. Building Confidence in others - Making the others feel great collaboration (not stand-up).
Rule: focus on making the other person look good. Exercise: I Heard You Do a Great___ (ex.
Impression of Muhammad Ali on helium)
2. Presenting - reading audiences and responding in the moment exercises begin with
audience suggestion: location, relationship, activity, or just a single word. Try some examples
using one word
3. Presence - being fully in the moment, listening, and paying attention Circle warm-up
exercises: One Word Story, Yes/And
4. Thinking on Your feet - ability to respond confidently in the moment while under pressure
Take Back, forces you to continually adapt and avoid clichd thinking
5. Discovery - new and surprising solutions to old and new situations
Fortunately/Unfortunately exercise
6. Real-time adapting - adapting strategy as new information and situations emerge Freeze
Tag: pressure is on while everyone is watching.
7. Inspiration - drawing forth the energy, passion, and assets in others Pass the
Sound/Movement/Name; team-building warm-up
8. Resourcefulness - recognizing and using the unexpected as opportunity mistakes lead to
great scenes and great ideas. Example from Fill in the Blank (aka Columns): have no idea what
the other person will say
9. Resilience bouncing back quickly after "failures" or dead ends embrace failure: I
failed! Acknowledge, and move onimprov is fluid. One suggestion/idea can change the
entire scene. Take Back
10. Influence - getting buy-in and support for your initiatives show confidence in whatever
you do emotion and enthusiasm are contagious. Yes/And; Fill in the Blank (repeat the lines
with gusto!)
11. OURS thinking - fostering team thinking in terms of "Look what WE did!" Circle warm-
ups: Word Association, One Word Story, Yes/And
Improvisation Exercises for Leadership and Speaking Skills
By Jamie Gerelli

12. Taking action - apply techniques to improve systems, products and processes Half Life:
boil the scene/speech down to its most important parts leave a strong message at the end
vivid summary
13. Impact and Influence - engaging risk taking and spontaneous behaviors from others
Emotion Swap adapt and be prepared for surprises; own the emotion has a big influence.