“What makes you a leader?” is the question posed on my Centre’s promotional card. I have it proudly affixed to the whiteboard in the office kitchen area so my colleagues can see that we’re making progress. It can be pretty serious stuff at times, this developing ourselves, and at times there’s nothing like a good laugh. Next to my proudly placed card now reads a series of “on the wall” comments starting with “It’s about how much time you can have off”, “It’s the pay!” and “the ability to hunt down and destroy anonymous comment writers” (not me I promise!).
Is it okay to laugh? Does a sense of humour have a role in leadership? I would say YES!, most definitely. As we navigate our way through our team’s challenges, aren’t there times when a great leader can bring the group instantly together with a short sharp dose of irony or joke?
What are your experiences of humour in leadership? What makes a sense of humour?
Stephen Drain's Leadership Blog 
Successful leadership obviously includes the ability to establish and maintain good relationships. In my experience, a sense of humour, including the ability on occasions to laugh at oneself, is an essential part of leadership, helps foster openess, trust and confidence among other things, whether in business or at the community level etc.
LikeLike
I guess my point of view is that leadership is quite different from leaders. Leadership is a phenomenon that encompasses a lot more than leaders. The reason anyone needs to be led by a leader cannot just be because of the leader. It has to be a combination of the circumstances that give rise to the need for leadership and followers. To consider the leader alone to be the face of leadership is unfair. What do you say?
LikeLike
Thanks Mahvash, really appreciate the comment. In the promotional card I asked “what makes you a leader?” and for me the underpinning thought is along the lines of “why should anyone be led by you?”. I happen to know you have a keen sense of humour as well as being a critical thinking NT (MBTI Type)! so what do you reckon about humour and leadership. Is there a place? Stephen
LikeLike
Humor certainly has its place with a leader, leadership can exist without humor…remember Hitler? 😉
LikeLike
I guess you should ask what makes leadership rather than what makes a leader? Perhaps a question like “What makes a leader” is limiting…particularly to our understanding of leadership. Doesn’t it assume that a leader is all you need?
LikeLike