So, I’m a bit odd, I know. For many years, I’ve conspicuously come to work on Halloween dressed as a science fiction character. In the last couple of years, I’ve taken it even further by assembling my entire team for a meeting, giving it a theme, and conducting it in character. Why on Earth would I do that?

On the surface, it appears that I like to have fun, and that’s true. It also appears that I have a general irreverence for traditional business decorum, and that’s also mostly true. I do try to contain my antics for the proper place and time. But wait, there’s more. What if there was an actual method to the madness? In this blog article, I’ll take you behind the scenes on my thinking.

It sets the team at ease

Business meetings can be stuffy. Leaders can be really intimidating. A leader in a costume is absolutely neither of those things. Team members are free to relax and be themselves. Injecting an air of levity is helpful to set the tone.

It sets me at ease

Even though I’m a leader of a large team, public speaking still makes me nervous. Rather than being Zach, I can be a superhero. Superheros are definitely not afraid to speak in public.

It keeps me humble

Sure, I could put on a spiffy business suit (I actually do own a few), but what does that convey to the team? I think it creates a divide. It says, you are the people, and I am “the man.” My team members are already naturally intimidated by my title and place on the org chart. How I act and dress will either reinforce or counteract that intimidation. I want to counteract it as much as possible and be an approachable leader.

“Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story.” -Mason Cooley

Here’s where the value really builds. In technology leadership, we often talk in management-speak. If I’m not careful, I will sound the like the pointy-haired boss, and my team will check out and play buzzword bingo.

As a technology leader, I have an important task: transform the organization to meet the future needs of the business. I can try to convey that in management-speak, or I can speak a language that they are much more likely to understand.

Technology geeks love science fiction stories. If I can deliver my main points in the context of a familiar and already inspiring story, then my message gets automatic lift and stickiness. Last year, I used a Star Trek theme. This year’s theme was The Matrix. I recently wrote a blog article on leadership lessons from the Matrix. That’s what I leveraged in this meeting.

This is why I get on stage: I want to convey meaning. I want to inspire my team. That’s a tall task, and I will absolutely put on a costume and theme my slide deck, if it makes me more effective, and it does.

Those are my lessons. You may think I’m kooky for wearing a costume to work and conducting a department meeting in character, but there’s a method to the madness.