Yesterday ended with a filmed interview with a senior leader.
Important conversation. Professional setting. Serious topics.
As I was leaving, I bumped into a puppeteer who was working on another project in the building. A few minutes later, I found myself wearing a giant bird puppet and posing for a photo… taken by the very same person I’d just been interviewing about a senior and highly impactful role in their business (watch this space!).
It was a good reminder that no matter how senior someone is, how important the programme or how serious the agenda, we’re all still human.
Some of the best relationships in business are built when we’re willing to drop the corporate mask for a moment, have a laugh and enjoy what we do.
- Professionalism matters.
- Delivering results matters.
- But so do curiosity, humour and not taking yourself too seriously.
We spend a lot of time talking about authentic leadership. Sometimes it’s not a strategy or a framework. Sometimes it’s simply being yourself and sharing a genuine moment.
We do business with people, not job titles.
Never forget the human behind the role.