The Improv Leader: Why the Best Decisions are Un-Scripted
Minna Taylor
Minna Taylor is the Founder of Energize Your Voice, a global communication coaching and training firm, author of The Confident Body, international speaker, and influential thought leader in the theory and application of PLAY. She is committed to helping visionary leaders and their teams transform the world. With an experiential approach, rooted in the principles of play and performance, she and her team support organizations, individuals, and entrepreneurs to explore their full potential in public speaking, storytelling, and leadership communication. Notable clients include TikTok, Red Bull, UBER, and EY. Minna earned her BFA from NYU Tisch and went on to earn her MFA in Performance with a concentration in speech and vocal production. Beginning her career as an accent reduction specialist, Minna went on to transfer her theater training to developing an innovative approach for professional development. She has a deep passion for supporting individuals to play, fail, and tell powerful stories.
- Recording: Yes
- Language: English
- Duration: 45 min / 15 min
Session Summary
The best leaders don't have all the answers. They know how to move well when the script runs out. Drawing on the principles of improvisational performance, this session explores why scripted thinking slows decisions, what risk-ready leaders actually do differently, and how play turns out to be one of the most underrated tools in a high-stakes environment. Practical, provocative, and immediately applicable.
Interaction
During the expert session, Minna Taylor engages the audience through interactive exercises using the Mentimeter app, group activities, and thoughtful reflections based on David Epstein's quote about risk-taking and communication.
Key Learnings
- Why over-preparation can undermine performance, and what to do instead
- The core improv principle ("yes, and") as a practical decision-making tool in ambiguous situations
- What risk-ready leaders do in the moment before they speak
- How to recover well when things go off-script (because they will)
- The role of play in keeping performance sustainable and teams on track
Detailed session description
Most professional development teaches people to prepare better. This session argues for something different: the ability to perform well when preparation isn't enough.
In a business environment defined by speed, ambiguity, and constant change, the leaders who thrive aren't necessarily the ones with the best plans. They're the ones who can think clearly under pressure, respond instead of react, and make confident decisions with incomplete information. These are learnable skills that come from an unexpected source.
Improv performance has always operated on the principles that modern leadership now demands: listening before speaking, building on what's already in the room, committing to a direction without certainty about the outcome. This session brings those principles off the stage and into the meeting room, the Zoom call, and the high-stakes conversation.
Through reflection, live practice, and real-world application, participants will leave with a concrete shift in how they approach uncertainty: not as something to manage around, but as the condition in which good leadership actually happens.
Other Sessions by this Speaker
Building Confidence Through Discomfort and Play
Minna Taylor explores the human physiological response to high-pressure scenarios, such as public speaking, highlighting the role of the sympathetic nervous system and the 'fight or flight' reaction. She reframes these natural survival mechanisms—like sweating or shaking—not as flaws but as opportunities for personal growth. Emphasizing the importance of both solo and group practice, she advocates for embracing discomfort and risk-taking to build resilience and communication confidence. Central to her session is the concept of 'play,' defined as an unpredictable yet essential tool for learning, expanding boundaries, and deepening relationships. By fostering curiosity and engaging in iterative improvement, individuals can transform challenging situations into valuable growth experiences.
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