The year was 2019.
We were launching a new software platform.
A complete rebuild from the ground up.
It was a gamble.
We’d bet the company on it.
Every dollar we made ran through that system.
No safety net.
It had to work.
The pressure was suffocating.
Late nights. Endless bugs.
Everyone worn thin.
We weren’t smiling.
We were just surviving.
Then one night, long after the office should’ve been dark,
someone queued up music. Loud.
Some ridiculous 80s pop track.
A screwdriver became a microphone.
Lip-syncing turned into a full-on tour.
Within seconds, the whole team was on their feet.
Chaotic, off-key, mildly inappropriate,
and absolutely unfilmable.
But tired eyes turned to laughter.
Stress cracked wide open.
We danced like idiots.
And I watched something shift.
Not in the code.
In the culture.
That moment didn’t delay us.
It saved us.
It reminded us we were still people.
Still a team.
Still in this together.
The next morning, the energy was different.
Lighter. Stronger.
The tension didn’t vanish,
but it loosened its grip.
People think fun is a luxury.
In high-stakes seasons, it’s a lifeline.
As leaders, we can’t confuse pressure with motivation. The work may be serious, but people are not machines. When we choose to lead with humanity, the results don’t just show up; they continue.
Because a team that can laugh together
can build things no one else thought possible.
Even under pressure,
even after business hours,
even with a screwdriver for a mic.
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Sorry I’m a little late responding. 🤓