What’s Your Banana?

There’s a scene in the movie The Naked Gun where a man named Al is standing next to his colleague, Frank Drebin. All is too tall for the camera to get his head in view. the audience watches as Al is peeling a banana and raises it out of the shot as if he’s taking a bite, then lowers the half-eaten banana back into the frame.

Frank looks up at Al and says, “there’s something on the side of your mouth Al.” Al, then reaches up out of the frame and wipes the side of his mouth. Frank, then says, “No, no, no, the other side.” Al, again, reaches out of the screen and wipes the other side of his mouth and a half of a banana falls into the shot and lands on a table before the two of them.

We are just like Al!

He can’t see his own face. He’s totally unaware that he’s standing there with a banana on his face. And the longer it goes on, the more awkward it becomes—for him and for everyone else.

That’s what we mean when we ask:
“What’s your banana?”

It’s the thing in your delivery, your communication, or your leadership that:

• You don’t see.
• Everyone else can.
• Silently affects your credibility and connection.
• Feels small to you—or completely invisible—but speaks loudly to your audience.

It could be a distracting physical habit. A defensive tone. An unchecked fear. A way of thinking or reacting that you’ve lived with so long, it feels normal. But to your audience, it’s the thing that gets in the way of the message.

Feedback helps you find your banana.

Fear makes you defend the banana. Fear says, “That’s not a real issue,” or, “They just don’t like my style.” But the truth is, feedback is one of the greatest gifts a communicator or leader can receive.

Someone who loves you—or cares about your growth—may one day have the courage to say:

“You’ve got a banana on your face.”

That moment? That’s not embarrassment. It’s freedom. Because now you can fix it. You can grow. You can lead better, speak more clearly, and connect more deeply.

And here’s the real key:
Everyone has bananas. You never graduate from needing feedback. You just get better at embracing it.

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Journal Prompt

What’s something you’ve been told—or suspect—that might be your current banana? What’s one way you can invite someone you trust to give you honest feedback this week?

Write down your reflections and name one action you’ll take to grow.

The Value of Feedback

[Video] 31 May 2025 Fearless Speakers Circle Recap

So you “do” believe in God.