I learned about conscious leadership early in my career in the most unlikely of places—on stage with Boston’s longest-running improv Troupe. I thought improv was making stuff up on the spot and trying to be funny—that was my first mistake.

While learning to improvise, I realized I would never get anywhere unless I listened, stayed present, and created with my colleagues. That was the only way to build, move the scene forward, and make it work. 

I’ve never stopped improvising.

Those lessons have held true in every facet of my life. I have never stopped working to understand how I affect others, and it’s continued to be a key to success for me and everyone I work with.

Now—and for the foreseeable future—we’ll be experiencing change at a pace and of a nature we’ve never seen. And one of the most vital skills that every one of us needs to possess the ability to improvise. In order to do that, we need to become conscious leaders.