Lessons from the Stage: How Theatre Taught Me Leadership

Before I ever stood behind a podium, I stood under a spotlight. Theatre was my first training ground for leadership. Playing roles like Azdak in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mrs Samsa in Metamorphosis, and Bob in Be Careful What You Wish For taught me lessons no classroom could.

In acting, you learn presence, the ability to command attention not through authority, but through authenticity. You learn empathy, stepping into lives vastly different from your own. And you learn resilience, because every performance is a lesson in imperfection.

As I transitioned into advocacy and youth leadership, I realised these same theatrical skills translated into diplomacy and public service. Communication, teamwork, and emotional intelligence are as critical in the conference hall as they are on stage.

Theatre taught me that great leaders, like great actors, must first learn to listen to understand before responding. Leadership, after all, is its own kind of performance, one where the script is written in real time, and the audience is the world.