“Humour is powerful but it can be used by people that are marginalised as a defence mechanism. It's important to make sure the person you're putting at ease first and foremost is yourself.”

Comedian and Writer, Sophie Duker shared her insights on inclusive leadership and how humour can be used as a way to tackle important issues regarding identity.

“Humour is a pill that sweetens truths that people need to swallow.” Duker explains, “By bringing people together in more trivial, joyful situations it creates a space where you can release tension and come together to make big decisions.”

Upholding strong values

Comedy is a tool that has helped Duker raise difficult conversations yet holding true to her values has led to challenging situations. In past, she’s had to turn down opportunities that didn’t align with her or stop gigs where issues were raised that she felt she didn’t have the authority to speak on. “Keeping a stronghold on boundaries and what you represent is really important and will affect the kind of work you do, decisions you make and what you walk away from,” she explains.

Her persona in comedy is linked strongly to her identity as she feels “it's important not to compromise and dilute who you are as a starting point. What I present to the world is tied in very intrinsically with my value system but I also don't think comedy is necessarily the arena to affect activism.” Pointing to the fact that while comedy has the ability to create conversation its nature is to entertain. 

This pursuit of entertainment has led to some comedians being called out or ‘cancelled’ for their inappropriate or misjudged jokes. However, Duker says: “Cancel culture doesn’t exist in the way that people talk about it as a kind of woke child catcher going around ending people's careers.” Adding that some ‘cancelled’ comedians continue to book gigs, win awards or get TV. Instead, Duker suggests that “accountability is something people have to reckon with.”

“We are always a step behind, there’s always going to be something to catch up with.” She explains, “In order to be progressive, you should always look at the way things were and adapt - none of us knows immediately how to run our teams, companies or even our lives. I think accepting that we are probably always in the wrong and will have to change makes the process much smoother.”

Mutual success 

When it comes to inclusive leadership Duker champions the importance of a flat, people-first structure that allows for progression not just when a “predecessor dies” as making space for more, new talent is essential to enriching the industry. She speaks of how she finds inspiration in her competition and in“people who have reached down and lifted me up.” Adding that “the kinship and drive by people doing similar things at a similar level inspires me because increasingly people are doing it differently. It's inspiring to see the amount of ways you can get your voice heard.” Uplifting others and allyship go hand in hand as she shares that to be a good ally you must “throw away self-consciousness and focus more on what you can do.” 

In listening to others, tackling difficult conversations with comedic flair and championing unconventional entry routes, Duker’s success doesn’t just raise a joke, it raises the bar for everyone. 

Image credit @ Bronac McNeill photography