A couple of days before 
Jay Leno re-appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show where he had been a host for 19 years, I studied him and his comic timing in a keynote speech to a convention in Las Vegas.
We were there for the PLUS 2014 convention, billed as three days of networking, learning and fun for the members of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society. Technically, I was his opening act at Caesar’s Palace Hotel & Casino. I spoke about unleashing your potential, and then Leno demonstrated the power of unleashing humor to connect with a keynote audience.
I’m not going to rehash his jokes, but tell you what I learned from his delivery and mannerisms as a keynote speaker.
Lesson 1: Familiar humor appeals to a keynote speaker’s audience.
Leno was dressed conservatively much like his audience, with a dark blue suit, white shirt and light blue tie. This was the kind of look that people expect from the man who took over from Johnny Carson.
Dapper and classy, he fit their expectations by his appearance and his immediate connection. Within seconds of walking out on stage and starting, the crowd was laughing. Leno had been part of our pop culture scene for years, and after this night he would be part of each audience member’s history.
Lesson 2: Novel humor keeps a keynote speaker’s audience engaged.
Leno remained on stage for more than an hour, telling at least 50 jokes without a TelePrompTer. It was stunning to watch him, knowing that all the words and timing were committed to impeccable memory and there was still mental room for ad-libbing.
He ensured that the audience never went more than two minutes without laughing. Even more impressive was that he connected unrelated topics which gave his presentation a real freshness, as if no one there had even thought of combining them this way before.
The jokes were also funny more than once. He built them on one another in such a creative way that you couldn’t see the second punch line coming. He would connect jokes back to previous jokes, so listening was rewarded more than once. The overall effect was surprising and engaging.
Lesson 3: Authentic humor makes a keynote audience respond.
Anyone watching from my vantage point would have seen someone who is exactly where he needs to be. He loves to make people laugh. As Leno told jokes, his energy rose. A glass of water near him never got a sip. Never more than a second of silence seemed to separate the bits of humor. I could see why his reputation as the king of standup comedy was so legendary.
Leno’s personal stories of his parents and youth reinforced his authenticity. Poking good-natured fun at them was a great way to bridge to his audience. That’s hard to do when you’re that big a celebrity.
The takeaway
Jay Leno is a great comedian, but that’s not why I’m a fan. In Las Vegas, I saw his brilliance and sincerity. His preparation, professionalism and focus blew me away. People know him for his humor, but they don’t realize why that humor sticks: it’s because he connects as a regular guy who really loves what he does. Our country has a history of listening best to people who make us laugh, which is one reason to catch Jay Leno: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize on Nov. 23 on PBS stations nationwide.
Watching Leno reminded me of this important truth: A keynote speaker who effectively uses humor is first of all very comfortable with himself or herself, and uses jokes to make a lasting connection.
Molly Fletcher is a popular keynote speaker and author who speaks to Fortune 500 companies across diverse industries. She helps inspire and equip game changers to lead well and with purpose. Her recent book, “A Winner’s Guide to Negotiating: How Conversation Gets Deals Done” (McGraw-Hill, 2014), draws on her decades as a sports agent and negotiator on behalf of pro athletes, coaches and broadcasters. Contact Molly here.
