What Yes, And by Kelly Leonard Teaches Us About Coaching and Improv

I've always been intrigued by improv.

Not just the laughs or the quick comebacks—but the invisible skills behind it. I’ve long admired people like Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers, whose improv backgrounds shape the way they lead conversations with grace, humor, and ease. Over time, I began to wonder: What would happen if I stepped into that world, too?

That curiosity led me to enroll in a class at Steel City Improv, and honestly? I loved it.

For two hours, I got to be silly, present, and fully attuned to my scene partner. No script. No agenda. Just responding moment to moment. It was joyful. It was grounding. And it turned out to be a perfect companion to the book we were reading in The Coaching Book Club Podcast: Yes, And by Kelly Leonard and Tom Yorton.

Early in the book, they write:

“You learn to tap into the part of your brain that so often censors the truth for fear of being judged.”

That line stopped me. As a coach, I immediately saw the connection. So often, our clients hold back—not because they’re unwilling to grow, but because their minds are trying to protect them. They filter, censor, and overthink. And sometimes? We do the same as coaches.

We want to ask the perfect question.
We second-guess what we’re sensing.
We grip our role instead of being present with the human in front of us.

Improv teaches a different path.

The Power of Ensemble Thinking

Leonard and Yorton define “ensemble” as “all the parts of a thing taken together.” In improv, your success depends on the group—on listening deeply, giving and taking, building something together.

That struck me as profoundly relevant to coaching.

Yes, we’re trained professionals. But the real magic happens when we show up as partners. When we let go of needing to be right and instead trust the moment. I learned this the hard way in class—when I clung too tightly to my idea, the scene fell flat. In coaching, the same thing happens: the conversation stalls when we hold our agenda too tightly.

Humor, Change, and a Human Advantage

Another moment of resonance came when I read this in Jonathan Passmore’s recent article on AI and coaching:

“AI may soon meet ACC-level competencies, but it still cannot replicate humor.”

That gave me pause.

As coaches, we talk about presence, empathy, and insight—but how often do we talk about humor? About levity as a leadership skill? Improv reminds us that humor isn’t a distraction; it’s a powerful tool for navigating change. It helps us name hard truths without shame. It shifts perspective. It opens up stuck places.

I have a friend who does this brilliantly—she’ll name the elephant in the room in a way that makes everyone laugh, and then think. That’s a uniquely human move. And it’s one I want to practice more often.

Moving from Reverence to Respect

Another idea that landed deeply: the difference between respecting something and revering it. The authors explain that reverence often comes with a kind of awe that stops us from questioning. But respect? That invites curiosity.

This is essential in coaching. Clients often revere certain roles, identities, or beliefs—so much so that they can’t challenge them. Our job is to gently help them move from reverence to respectful exploration. To ask: “What else could be true here?”

Reframing Failure as Experimentation

Perhaps my favorite takeaway from both the book and the class was this: in improv, failure is not just allowed—it’s expected. It’s part of the game. You try something, it bombs, and the scene moves on.

What if we brought that mindset into coaching?

Instead of viewing “wrong turns” as missteps, we could frame them as experiments. We could normalize risk-taking. We could build cultures—within ourselves and our clients—where messing up isn’t fatal. It’s just part of the learning curve.

As Winston Churchill put it:

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Applying Improv in Real Time

After reading the book and taking the class, I decided to bring an improv game into a coaching group I facilitate. We played “Emotional Option”—where two coaches have a conversation, and I occasionally interrupted to call out new emotions for them to embody. The result? Laughter, insight, and a fresh understanding of how emotions show up not just in words, but in tone, energy, and body language.

It reminded me of something simple but profound: Playfulness and presence go hand in hand. And both are vital to great coaching.

🎧 Want to explore these ideas further?
Tune into the latest episode of the Coaching Book Club Podcast where we unpack Yes, And and what it means for the way we coach today.

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