The Hive Collective Podcast: Shifting Power in Nonprofits · Beth Ellen Holimon

Harrison Brookie: Improv Comedy for Organizations

·56 min·5 clips

A joke about teaching Microsoft Word to goats led to a breakthrough training method used by major companies.

This episode features host Beth Ellen Holliman interviewing Harrison Brookie, owner of the Alchemy Comedy Theater and an improv coach for organizations. Brookie applies improv principles to leadership and teamwork within nonprofits and businesses. The conversation explores how comedy techniques can transform organizational culture and problem-solving. A core topic is the "yes, and" principle, where participants accept and build upon ideas instead of rejecting them. Brookie describes a corporate workshop where a joke about teaching Microsoft Word to goats evolved into a viable training model pairing experts with novices. He references improviser E.J. Jagadowski's view that improv is about making the ensemble look good, not individual glory. Brookie draws parallels between his improv theater, which involves about 80 performers across six weekly shows, and effective organizational structures. He shares an anecdote about a CEO who received critical 360-degree feedback but couldn't foster honest discussion because his team feared reprisal. Brookie argues that trust and psychological safety must be modeled from the top, allowing teams to take creative risks. He illustrates this with an example from his theater where he trusted someone with a high-stakes show that failed, leading to refunds but preserving a culture of innovation. Brookie also uses improv exercises in corporate settings, like having groups discuss a single topic from the same point of view to practice deep listening. An interesting insight is that improv isn't about being witty but about spotting and embracing the uniquely interesting "one percent weird" in any situation. Brookie applies this to his other job as a history teacher, using surprise and flipped expectations to engage students. He suggests that complex, creative challenges like ending hunger require an ensemble mindset where no single person is the hero. Brookie proposes that leaders who want more team ownership must talk less and genuinely believe others can steer effectively. The episode has a conversational and practical tone, blending personal anecdotes with actionable advice. It is educational but informal, using humor and specific stories to illustrate broader management concepts. Nonprofit leaders, managers, and anyone interested in collaborative teamwork or creative facilitation would enjoy this episode. Listeners seeking highly structured business frameworks or skeptical of using comedy in professional settings might find it less applicable.

As heard by us

Comedy leadership becomes a lens on trust, teamwork, and shared power in nonprofits.

Harrison Brookie makes a strong case for comedy leadership as a way to think about nonprofit power-sharing. The discussion stays focused on trust, ensemble thinking, feedback, and the value of different strengths in the room, which keeps it grounded and useful.

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Listen for a fresh way to think about shifting and sharing power in nonprofits.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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