The New Workplace Advantage: Risk, Relationships, and Original Thinking

by Holly Mandel

Wall Street leader and trailblazer Carla Harris's conversation with Mel Robbins highlights an important reality: the skills that create success today aren't necessarily the same ones that created success in the past.

I listened to Mel Robbins' newest conversation -- with the powerful Carla Harris -- and one section got me very jazzed!

Carla was talking about how dramatically the workplace has changed. In previous generations, there was often a clearer path to success. You learned the system, followed the process, gained experience, and gradually moved forward.

Today, none of us can deny that things feel very different.

Organizations are changing faster. Roles are evolving. Information is more accessible than ever. And many people find themselves wondering what actually differentiates one employee from another when everyone has access to similar resources and opportunities to learn.

Carla's answer was both simple and powerful: organizations increasingly value people who can create momentum. People who can build relationships, think differently, take initiative, and move forward when the path isn't entirely clear.

As I listened, I realized she was describing something we spend a lot of time developing in our workshops: an improv mindset.

The New Playbook

What I found exciting about Carla Harris's perspective is that she wasn't talking about technical expertise or credentials. She was talking about how people navigate uncertainty. (one of my favorite topics!!)

Throughout the conversation, she repeatedly returned to the idea that organizations increasingly value people who can move forward when there isn't a clear roadmap. People who are willing to take thoughtful risks, generate new ideas, and build strong relationships. In other words, the differentiators are becoming less about what you know and more about how you engage with the opportunities and challenges in front of you.

That's where I think an improv mindset becomes particularly valuable!

Not because it teaches people to perform, but because it gives them repeated opportunities to practice the very skills Carla was describing.

Taking Thoughtful Risks

Carla spoke about the importance of being willing to take risks and try things that haven't been done before.

For many people, that's easier said than done. Most of us have been rewarded throughout our careers for being prepared, getting things right, and avoiding mistakes.

Improv creates a different relationship with risk. Participants learn that making a choice is often more valuable than waiting for the perfect choice. They discover they can recover, adapt, and keep moving even when things don't unfold exactly as expected.

Over time, that builds confidence—not confidence that everything will work out perfectly, but confidence that they can handle whatever comes next.

Thinking Outside the Box

Another theme Carla emphasized was the value of original thinking.

Organizations need people who can see possibilities that others might miss and contribute ideas that move a team or business forward.

This is one of the reasons I love improv as a development tool. It trains people to explore options rather than immediately evaluate them. Instead of looking for the safest answer, participants practice generating possibilities, building on ideas, and approaching situations from different perspectives.

That kind of thinking is useful far beyond an improv exercise. It's often where innovation begins.

Building Relationships

Perhaps the most enduring point Carla made was that people make people decisions.

No matter how much work evolves, trust remains essential. Relationships create buy-in. They create influence. They help teams navigate challenges and seize opportunities together.

At its core, improv is a collaborative activity. Participants succeed by listening closely, supporting one another, and responding to what's happening in the moment. Those same behaviors strengthen leadership, teamwork, client relationships, and communication in the workplace.

What Creates Momentum

Listening to the fabulous Carla Harris, I kept coming back to one thought: she was describing people who create momentum.

They don't wait for perfect conditions or permission. They engage with what's in front of them. They contribute ideas. They build trust. They help move things forward.

And that's exactly why an improv mindset feels so relevant in today's workplace.

"People are going to value people who have clarity. They're going to value people who are willing to take risk. They're going to value people who can think out of the box." — Carla Harris, the Mel Robbins podcast Ep 403

If you're interested in helping your team become more comfortable taking thoughtful risks, contributing fresh ideas, and building stronger relationships, let's connect. These are the skills that help people create momentum when the path forward isn't always clear.