In short
Jimmy Fallon discusses leadership through gratitude, keeping work fun, and treating every team member with respect; he credits mentors from SNL and film for shaping his approach.
Guests
Jimmy Fallon (host/guest).
Guest background
Fallon is a comedian and TV host known for SNL and films like Almost Famous (as an actor).
Key claims
Gratitude should extend to “smallest players,” and leaders should “show up” for everyone. He learned this from Lorne Michaels (SNL) and Cameron Crowe (director).
Notable examples
Fallon recalls Crowe giving practical notes to an extra—“you had a long day…three more tables…then you get to go home”—and making the extra feel valued even without lines.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOLessons in Gratitude from Lorne Michaels
0:04 to 0:27
Jimmy Fallon shares how gratitude in leadership was inspired by Lorne Michaels and Cameron Crowe.
“It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks.”
Lessons in Gratitude from Lorne Michaels
0:50 to 2:15
Jimmy Fallon shares how gratitude in leadership was inspired by Lorne Michaels and Cameron Crowe.
“You know, the idea of keeping it fun, of showing gratitude to even the smallest players.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01Jimmy Fallon:This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. Good sleep is everything. That's why OLLI's science back support is made with a blend of melatonin and L-theanine for both kiddos and grownups.
0:35So when your mind won't switch off, you've got something that can help. Erasing thoughts and restless nights won't stand a chance. Find OLLI's sleep solutions for the whole family at OLLI.com. That's O-L-L-Y dot com. Did you learn that leadership style? You know, the idea of keeping it fun, of showing gratitude to even the smallest players. Did you learn that on SNL from people like Lorne Michaels? Lorne Michaels, yeah, definitely. I think that's one of the things I learned from him is showing up and, you know, just being there for everybody. I think as the part of gratitude, one of my biggest lessons I learned from Cameron Crowe, who is a great writer, director.
1:18But he directed me. I was in Almost Famous. you can cue the applause now uh you're going to go going to go straight to fever pitch but okay no i'll start with i'll start with my first one i'll go into my filmography after that uh this this podcast is three hours right all right perfect so i remember uh i uh was on set and i saw cameron giving notes to this extra and he was like uh okay you had a long day okay you got three more tables and then you get to go home you know and uh blah blah and he was just giving uh direction to this uh extra and then they did action and the extras didn't have any lines yeah just in the background and i was like whoa he put and he didn't no one was looking at him he wasn't putting on a show like look at how cool i am he was just him and this extra talking and he made that person feel like a million bucks and and that whole made everybody go like we're all doing this world everybody's worth something here.
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From the publisher
Jimmy Fallon on Leading with Gratitude, Humor, and Heart
20 Oct 2025
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Great leaders recognize and celebrate the work of everyone on the team. Jimmy Fallon shares the moment he learned the importance of putting in effort—because when people feel seen, they show up differently.
Listen to the full IdeaCast episode here: https://s.hbr.org/4o4R2jS
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