I have been thinking about the role of “The Fool” in Shakespeare’s plays; not just because I enjoy Shakespeare’s plays (which I do), but how this character applies to my role as a leadership coach. Putting aside some of the burlesque aspects of the Fool’s role in court, the traits of a good Fool can be an inspiration for anyone who cares about someone and desires the best for them.
Through contemporary eyes, the Fool may look silly, but his words can be profound. In Shakespeare, the Fool doesn’t pull punches. He is not ashamed of who he is. He often sees a person as he/she really is and is willing to speak the truth. He finds the deep emotion in a situation and names it. He has a great sense of humor. In a piece in the New York Times, Mark Edmundson writes “Shakespeare’s fools are subtle teachers, reality instructors one might say, who often come close to playing the part that Socrates, himself an inspired clown, played on the streets of Athens. They tickle, coax and cajole their supposed betters into truth, or something akin to it.”
In my experience, many people are uncomfortable playing the Fool in others’ lives. Instead, we (and I include myself here) tend to tiptoe around the issue, soft pedal the feedback and downplay the truth because we fear the other person’s reaction. I have seen this behavior in the workplace, within friendships and in family relationships. And, yet, what insight, growth or deeper relationship might develop if we played the Fool more often?
A manager may not be surprised when he receives a poor performance review.
A new leader might finally gain respect from his team.
A loved one may work to eliminate hurtful behavior.
Relationships could flourish.
These outcomes result from the Fool’s “pull-no-punches” approach, but what of the Fool’s great wit? Shakespeare embraced all the foibles and humanity of his characters, hiding nothing. I believe that the Fool was used, at least in part, to say to these flawed characters not to take themselves too seriously; that joy, humor and laughter can be the great equalizers. As Samantha Markham says in Shakespearean Fools: The Role of Shakespeare’s Clowns, “The great irony, of course, is that there is absolutely nothing foolish about any of Shakespeare’s fools.”
Will you join me in committing to “tickle, coax and cajole” those we love and the people with whom we work by playing the Fool – pulling no punches, speaking the truth, not being afraid, naming what’s going on and seeing the humor in life?
