When Stephen Colbert accepted his first Emmy for The Late Show, the moment was unexpectedly emotional.

Instead of leaning into sarcasm or politics, Colbert spoke about something rarely heard on television—and even less often in business leadership.

He spoke about love, love as a commitment to people and country even when things feel uncertain.

He ended the speech with an inspirational line that was unmistakably Colbert:

“I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong, be brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor.”

A recent MSNBC commentary noted that Colbert’s message stands out in a culture dominated by cynicism. His humor critiques ideas and behavior without stripping people of their dignity.

That perspective may sound unusual coming from a late-night comedian. And it raises a serious leadership question:

What would happen if leaders treated love—respect for human dignity—as a core operating principle?

In organizations, that principle shows up – or not – through everyday leadership behaviors: listening carefully, recognizing contributions, delivering feedback without contempt, and holding people accountable without humiliation.

The crazy thing about truth in business is this: we all say we value it. Until it costs us something. Keeping aligned with the truth is hard. It can threaten your ego. It can unsettle your team. It can make you feel temporarily less certain. It can slow things down. Check out this group designed to help leaders be more honest, inside and out.

Experiential Amare Moment – Do This Now

Think about the last difficult leadership conversation you had. Maybe it involved a missed goal, a mistake, or a tense disagreement.

Ask yourself: Did the person leave that conversation feeling respected, or just corrected?

If not both, consider what you might do differently next time.

Mirror – 3 Key Questions to Ask Yourself

• When pressure rises, do you treat people with the same dignity you expect from them?
• Where might your tone unintentionally communicate impatience or dismissal?
• How consistently do you show respect when delivering difficult feedback?

Window – Truth and Success Belong Together

There’s an obvious pattern in some of the most respected leadership turnarounds in America, one that’s totally aligned with Colbert’s emphasis on treating people with dignity.

Alan Mulally transformed Ford’s leadership meetings by thanking executives who admitted problems instead of punishing them. He treated honesty with dignity, leading to one of the most respected turnarounds in the industry.

Facing extremely low employee engagement at Campbell Soup Company, CEO Doug Conant began personally recognizing employees—eventually writing more than 30,000 thank-you notes. The visible respect helped rebuild morale and performance.

Cheryl Bachelder rebuilt Popeyes by focusing first on a service mentality, treating franchise owners with transparency and respect. The restored trust helped transform both culture and financial performance.

Operating principle: Treat people with dignity—and performance follows.

Research: Dignity at Work Directly Affects Performance

In studies summarized by Georgetown professor Christine Porath, employees who feel respected by their leaders report 55% higher engagement and are significantlymore willing to share ideas and collaborate. When respect disappears, productivity and creativity drop quickly. In other words, dignity isn’t just ethical leadership—it’s effective leadership.

Door Into Action – 5 Amare Steps to Lead With Dignity

1. Open difficult conversations with acknowledgment. Recognize the person’s effort or contribution before addressing the challenge.

2. Listen without interrupting. Allow people to complete their thoughts before responding. Really listen too, no interrupting.

3. Deliver feedback calmly and directly. State the issue clearly without sarcasm or exaggeration. Stick to the facts without making up stories.

4. Recognize contributions publicly. Call out specific team contributions during meetings this week. Connect them with your mission.

5. Correct mistakes without humiliation. Address problems privately and focus the discussion on solutions. Remember, first connect, then correct.

A Modest Proposal for Stephen Colbert

Which brings us back to Mr. Colbert.

Given that the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” is ending this May, I’d like to offer him a new job, totally aligned with his values:

Host of “Amare Business with Stephen Colbert” (or maybe we’ll call it “Stephen Colbert Goes to Work!”).

URGENT: If you have connections with someone who knows someone who knows Stephen, please share this newsletter with them so we can make it happen!

Imagine the Possibilities with Colbert at Work

Imagine Stephen hosting a show that uses the immense power of entertainment to explore new and sometimes provocative ideas, something he does very well.

The concept is simple. Colbert goes to work, visiting organizations and investigating one deceptively basic leadership question:

How well do leaders treat people?

At one company, Colbert might read the beautifully framed Core Values statement in the lobby—“Our people are our greatest asset”—then asks employees:

“So, is that for real… or a glitzy lobby decoration?”

At another company, Colbert would sit in on a leadership meeting and ring a referee bell every time someone interrupts a colleague.

“Unnecessary executive dominance. Two-minute silence penalty.”

And at a third organization, Colbert might ask executives one simple question:

“Tell me the name of a person who cleans this building at night.”

If they know it, he hands out a gold star. If they don’t, he walks them downstairs to meet the cleaning crew.

The audience would laugh. More importantly, the insight would last. Because beneath the humor sits a truth every effective leader eventually learns:

The dignity that shows up in everyday behavior is way more  important than what corporate mottos promise.

Amare Team Talk

Ask your leadership team this question at the start of your next meeting:

“When have you felt most respected by a leader?”

Listen carefully. Look for patterns. Then collectively identify one leadership behavior your team will begin practicing immediately.

Inspirational Challenge

Stephen Colbert’s Emmy speech ended with a call to stay brave and punch a higher floor. Leadership asks for the same courage.

Not the courage to dominate or outmaneuver others—but the courage to lead with clarity and respect even when pressure rises.

Leaders who combine accountability with genuine care create cultures where people contribute more fully, trust more deeply, and solve problems faster.

In a world where cynicism often feels like the safe choice, treating people with dignity may be one of the most quietly powerful leadership decisions available.

And like Colbert suggested, when the elevator seems headed down…

Punch a higher floor.

– Moshe

Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote

“The business of business is people.”

—Herb Kelleher, co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines

   

Click here and read more Amare Wave Wednesday newsletters on related topics:

Three Pillars For Making Truth The Way You Lead

The Crazy Thing About Truth In Business

6 Powerful Steps To Improve By Being A Truth-Centered Organization

Leading With Truth In In A World Of Deepfakes, AI, And Nonstop Disruption

Make Everything Feed Your Mission & Vision: Aligning Your Organization For Impact

   

Original article published on Inc.com.