"If they're not laughing, you are already losing."

I know it up close.

When the world feels uncertain, most workplaces default to performance and acting like they “have it together.”

Pretending.

We kind of forgot how to be human.

performance 'theater' is quietly killing creativity, trust, and honest leadership.

In this episode, Kathy Klotz-Guest—former Silicon Valley leader, longtime comedian, and founder of Keeping It Human®—explores why laughter and play aren’t perks or distractions; they're neurological signals that make better leadership, innovation, and decision-making possible.

Drawing on decades of building teams, leading products, and working comedy stages, Kathy unpacks what fear does to teams, why burned-out brains can’t innovate, and how humor helps people reframe failure, speak up, and stay human when things get hard.
It’s about creating cultures where people can drop the performance, tell the truth, and do braver, better work together.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why fear makes teams smaller—and how laughter helps reverse it

• How humor reframes failure so teams can learn instead of shut down (and a real example you can use!)

• What leaders can do to calm nervous systems without pretending everything’s fine

  
  

  Staying human is the real work!

Want more? Visit keepingithuman.com