Leading with Humor

In the article Luis Hernandez co-authored with Holly Elissa Bruno, Janet Gonzalez-Mena, and Deborah Sullivan, in the Beginnings Workshop: Leadership in the November, 2015 issue of Exchange, he talked about the importance of humor for leaders...

"In the range of emotions we possess, humor comes up as an all-time favorite. Teachers will tell you that they love their work because 'children make me laugh, they are so funny.' Then we have teachers generous with laughter and the physicality of goofiness, natural magnets for kids yearning for a good belly laugh. In many families, we hold a special place at the Thanksgiving table for those who bring good jokes along with limp green beans. And if you ask couples in decades-old relationships as to their "secret," three out of four will say having a sense of humor (while the other fourth refuse to answer under court order).

"For leaders, the expectations are high in charging ahead with those elusive visions and missions of any organization. Leaders set the tone, the light, and enthusiasm in building and nourishing the team that will go forth with the work at hand. Plus they hold the best staff meetings with skits, rubber chickens, and extra cheese pizza.

"It boils down to a willing attitude for humor — most often natural, sometimes risky. Creating that joyful presence in all relationships gives us the glue and fire to be more of who we are: Better teachers, better parents, better partners, better leaders."

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