The Importance of Humor as a Leadership Skill

Abstract: Humor is an important skill for leaders. This paper examines the underappreciation and underutilization of humor as a tool that studies conclude can improve relationships, decrease stress, and enhance productivity in the workplace. While inappropriate humor, such as aggressive humor, can have a negative effect, effective use of humor by leaders, supervisors, and subordinates can have multiple positive effects on organizational culture. Understanding what humor is and how it can be implemented as an impactful organizational and leadership tool is the purpose of this scholarship. Leadership is as important for the success of an organization as it is misunderstood and misused by “leadership training programs”. There is no debate that many definitions of leadership exist, but too often the approach to teaching leadership contradicts the consensus that distinguishes leadership from management. Current scholarship contends that leadership can be taught, leadership is an influencing process, and effective leadership depends on the leader, the follower, and the situation.

Key words: leadership, humor, productivity, creativity

JEL codes: M1, M5