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Guest Keynote: Leading with Levity: How to Harness the Competitive Advantage of Improv and Humor, Seriously
Tuesday, March 10, 2026 / 09:00 AM - 09:45 AM EDT
About the Session
In today’s fast-changing world, the most agile leaders are those who can think on their feet, lead with authenticity, and use humor as a competitive advantage—seriously. In this provocative and entertaining keynote, Stanford lecturer and bestselling author Naomi Bagdonas explores the behavioral science of humor and the principles of improvisation to reveal a powerful, often-overlooked leadership edge. Humor isn’t the opposite of seriousness; it’s a fast track to trust, an antidote to fear, and a spark for creativity when the stakes are high. Drawing from professional comedians and cutting-edge research, Naomi offers practical tools leaders can use to cultivate more agile teams, more joyful cultures, and more human organizations.