5 Reasons to Lead with Laughter
A sense of humor and the ability to laugh are powerful leadership tools. Below are 5 reasons why YOU should add humor and laughter to your Leadership Toolbox.
1. Leaders who laugh are healthier leaders.
Being in charge is stressful. The rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other stress-driven health complaints are much higher among leaders than among people who aren't in such stressful roles. Laughter is an all-natural, drug-free way to alleviate stress. When you're less stressed, you make better decisions: laughter can make you a better business strategist!
2. Leaders who laugh are better negotiators.
Humor puts the common bonds of experience and insight individuals have squarely in the spotlight. This strengthens the relationship. This is important when you're negotiating. Most leaders prefer to have negotiations where both parties feel like they're walking away a winner. Knowing what you have in common with the other party and what's important to them is a critical component in making this happen. Laughter opens the door to developing that understanding.
3. Leaders who laugh have emotional resiliency.
To be an effective leader, you need both optimism and vision. Both of these qualities are under constant assault from the world we live in, which serves up a continual narrative of gloom and doom. Laughter creates emotional distance from overwhelming events, allowing leaders to focus on what they need to do to get the job done. This doesn't mean ignoring very real problems—just holding onto perspective that makes moving forward possible. Being able to see the brighter side is a valuable leadership skill.
4. Laughter creates loyalty.
Attracting and retaining top talent is the most important part of many leaders' responsibilities. The strategic use of humor plays a vital role in letting people know they're welcome and valued—two important components in employee retention. Strong leaders understand that humor is a very individual phenomenon, manifested in different ways for different reasons, and they use that knowledge to strengthen relationships with their team members. Strong, long-lasting teams deliver more innovation and better results!
5. Leaders who laugh are better communicators.
Humor is a social lubricant. We use laughter to ease our communications with colleagues, customers, and pretty much everyone else around us. Being able to hear and understand what others are trying to convey while being simultaneously being able to make your own meaning clear is a sign of a great leader. Knowing when to laugh—and what it means when other people are laughing—can make you a more effective leader.
