Summer Camp: How Playground Leadership Builds Workplace Trust | Matt Kaufman

What does summer camp have to do with building a high-performing workplace? According to Matt Kaufman — everything. In this episode of Humor in the C Suite, Kate Davis sits down with Matt to explore how the conditions that make camp transformational — safety, humor, vulnerability, and shared challenge — map directly onto what the best workplace cultures are built on. From managing 500 employees to raising a two-year-old at home, Matt brings a warm, scientifically grounded perspective on why joy isn't a distraction from great work — it's the engine of it.

Key Topics Covered

Matt and Kate cover a lot of ground in this conversation, touching on how humor functions as a neurological tool for reducing stress and building energy, why vulnerability is the foundation of trust — and how humor creates the conditions for it, the "X Words" morning meeting tradition that gets leadership teams laughing before the day even starts, the "Fun Professional" core value that Matt's team uses to hold the balance between culture and accountability, what teams that lack psychological safety look like from the outside, why former campers-turned-counselors always lean too far toward fun (and what to do about it), and the parallel between a runner's high and the endorphin-fueled energy of a great camp summer.

Standout Quotes

"I think people often think you have to look like you're not enjoying work. But the best employees I've ever worked with are having a good time when they're doing their jobs." — Matt Kaufman

"When you tell a joke, it's extremely vulnerable. And a first step towards building trust is to create vulnerability." — Matt Kaufman

"People have to feel safe before they can thrive." — Matt Kaufman

"Kids laugh 300 times a day. Adults laugh about 15. When do we lose that?" — Kate Davis

Matt's Advice for Leaders

Start small. When you're new to a team, use humor gently and build from there. As trust deepens, so does your ability to push the edges. Know your audience — humor that works in a tour for prospective parents won't land the same way in a hard conversation. And when humor misfires? Admit it fast, apologize genuinely, and move on. Nobody's perfect, and pretending otherwise only makes it worse.

The Books

The Summer Camp MBA — Ideal for anyone leading, hiring, or developing teenagers and young adults. Draws directly from camp management and culture.

The Campfire Effect — A broader exploration of what makes camp so transformational, and how those same principles apply to families, schools, and workplaces. This is the book for leaders, parents, and educators who want to build environments where people become the best version of themselves.

Both available on Amazon. Links above.

Additional Links & Resources:

• Interested in being a guest on Humor in the C-Suite? Reach out to book a call with Kate!
• Learn more about me and my work at katedavis.ca

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Hosted by Kate Davis
Edited by Chris @ Wider View Studios