A recent study by the Bell Leadership Institute found that when more than 2,700 employees were asked to describe the strengths of their leaders, by far the two most frequently used phrases were "work ethic" and "sense of humor." The study found that leaders who were seen as working hard but still having fun and demonstrating a good sense of humor had a strong edge over other leaders.
The study also delved into ways that leaders used their sense of humor to improve workplace performance and found that the most effective leaders were able to use their sense of humor to spark employees' enthusiasm, deliver an honest message with a lighter touch, put employees at ease, boost productivity and bring teams together. (These leaders are obviously long term subscribers of Humor at Work.)
Less effective leaders, however, sometimes used their sense of humor to put people down using sarcasm, to show off or to overly distract people. (For fans of the sitcom The Office, this leadership style would be known as the "Michael Scott approach.")
One of the keys to successfully using humor in the workplace for any leader, or anyone for that matter, is to be true to their authentic self. As I've said oh-so-many times, it's not about fake enthusiasm, extraordinary charisma or being an extrovert; leaders who share their own brand of uplifting humor and who are able to laugh at themselves are far more likely to build trust and create an inspiring workplace culture. |