Having spent quite a bit of time talking with and covering Nokia CEO Stephen Elop during his tenure as a Microsoft executive, I got a good laugh from the initial coverage of a “leaked” unveiling of the company’s first Windows Phone 7 device this week.

Elop can be a showman, and a ham, and he has a mischievous streak. He also has five children — including triplets — so he knows the value of a little reverse-psychology.

So it’s not hard to imagine the conversation that led to the approach Elop takes in video below, during a speech to an internal audience.

“Now, I am just going to ask everybody to put away your cameras. Turn off all of the recording devices,” he tells the crowd before pulling out the device. “This is something that is super-confidential, and we do not want to see out in the blogosphere.”

Seriously, it’s hilarious. It’s also pretty shrewd, as evidenced by how quickly the video spread around the blogosphere, at a time when the company can use all the positive buzz it can muster.

“No pictures, please.”

Maybe we’ve been underestimating Elop and Nokia all along?

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.