Humor and Leadership
“A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” Dwight D. Eisenhower
Do you have to have a sense of humor to be a leader? No. Hitler probably didn’t have much of a sense of humor. I doubt Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, or General Manuel Noriega ever said, “did you hear the one about…” and if they did tell a joke how would you like to be the person that didn’t laugh. What would happen to you? Dictators and terrorist don’t need to use humor to be a leader, they lead by fear. History shows that they may be successful for a short time, but they usually end up deposed or worse.
Most Democratic countries and successful businesses have leaders that not only have a sense of humor, but know how to capitalize on it. At President Ronald Reagans funeral President George H. W. Bush said, “Perhaps as important as anything. I learned a lot about humor, a lot about laughter.” We can all learn about humor in leadership from former President Reagan. Even his detractors acknowledged the effectiveness of his humor. When Reagan was shot, he helped put the whole country at ease when he joked with the surgeon prior to his surgery. “Please assure me that you are all Republicans?” and the surgeon replied, “Mr. President, today the entire country is Republican.” Reagan also joked with Nancy saying, “Honey, I forgot to duck.”
Abraham Lincoln said, “I have always believed that a good laugh was good for both the mental and physical digestion.” And John F. Kennedy was quoted with saying, “There are three things which are real: God, human folly, and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension. So we must do what we can about the third.”
So how can having a sense of humor help make one a better leader?
By not taking yourself too seriously people will take you more seriously. Employees tend to not take a manager or boss who is full of him or herself too seriously. If you act too self-important you are going to end up the butt of the joke losing credibility. Others will feel comfortable around you if you display a sense of humor. Sometimes we become so serious on the job that others don’t want to work with us. Sometimes when we get a title in front of our name or a few letters after our name we become so self important that we create a negative environment. Does this mean you shouldn’t take your job and your responsibilities seriously? NO! Do the best job you can possibly do. But it does mean that you can still have fun while living up to your job and its responsibilities.
Maintaining a sense of humor can also help reduce stress around the office or in an important meeting. Humor and laughter can reduce stress, break the ice and help maintain a sense of calm in order to accomplish what must be done. There are always going to be stressful situations that is part of business, that is part of life, but the ability to find a little humor can help overcome the stress so that you and others can get down to what is really important. Stress can prevent people from being as productive and creative as they need to be in order to reach their goals. Comedian John Cleese said, “If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.”