David Horning - Think Like A Comedian

Leaders across industries are struggling to engage teams, communicate across silos, and drive productivity in a fast-moving, uncertain marketplace.

While many turn toward the shiniest tools and trends in an attempt to stand out, studies show that embracing one basic human skill can differentiate your organization as a top recruiter, engager, and retainer of talent: a sense of humor.

No joke!

Humor-led employee engagement programming has been proven to break down communication silos and deepen relationships, strengthen resilience, drive creative problem-solving, innovate collaboration, boost bottom lines, and so much more!

In David's high-energy, hands-on sessions, audiences won’t be transformed into stand-up comedians (your HR department can breathe a sigh of relief), but rather experience an introduction to innovative leadership based on the principles of humor.

In a world where more employees trust total strangers over their own bosses, developing leadership tools like empathy, vulnerability, and curiosity are as vital to being a standout leader as they are to being a stand-up comedian, and this way of thinking can transform your organization into a top-performing, top-rated workplace, just like it did for strategic communications firm Peppercomm and many of their clients.

And here’s the punchline: you don’t even have to be funny to do it!

Learning Objectives
1. Unlearn and redefine humor as a practical leadership skill, rather than something to be afraid of.
2. Embrace uncertainty and strengthen resilience with simple, repeatable thinking exercises that innovate problem-solving, and energize conversations.
3. Speed the path to trust, break down silos, and streamline collaboration by utilizing the basics of improvisation.

Unlike other leadership speakers and trainers, David Horning's 12 years of comedy, speaking, and corporate training experience brings an outside-of-the-box, hands-on approach unafraid of challenging leaders to disrupt the status quo.

Through his programs, David has proven to leaders that developing a sense of humor is the secret sauce for building organizations where people WANT to work, with successes including Fortune 2000 companies, DisruptHR, and over 100 SHRM chapters. His work has been featured on (link hidden) and LinkedIn’s Daily Wrap.

Together with strategic communications firm and top-rated workplace Peppercomm, David has developed training programs that combine a mix of stand-up and improvisation exercises to help teams build resilience, collaborate openly, and boost employee engagement. He was chosen to be part of the firm's Laughing Matters Council, a group of leaders from across the humor spectrum providing insights, expertise, and guidance on how to leverage humor in business.

David has performed at comedy clubs and in comedy festivals across the country, and is the founder of Water Cooler Comedy, which provides customized corporate comedy shows, and Secret Society Comedy, a nomad comedy club based in Northeast Ohio.

Set up the room as though you were setting up a comedy club. My presentations are meant to feel like an immersive experience where everyone feels comfortable laughing and interacting with one another. I want the audience to have so much fun, they forget they have to be there in the first place!