Humor up: How laughter is a leadership superpower

August 13, 2025

Adam Christing

Keynote Speaker | Emcee | Humor Expert

SmartBrief Aug 13, 2025

Bringing laughter into your workplace doesn't diminish your leadership, but can create a more connected culture, writes Adam Christing.

We often treat humor as a workplace extra — something nice to have once the real work is done. But laughter isn’t dessert. It’s part of the main course for a thriving workplace culture.

Positive humor is a shortcut to trust, a signal of safety and a secret tool for leaders who want stronger results and more unity. And yes, it makes meetings feel about 75% less like jury duty.

Your workplace doesn’t need more serious people before coffee. It needs leaders who understand how humor brings people together. In my career as a comedian, humorist and keynote speaker, five laugh tactics help leaders link, lift and lead. They’re not just about cracking jokes. These “laugh languages” invite real human connection. 

But first, a bigger question:

Does humor deepen your influence?

Laughter isn’t just fun. It’s fundamental. According to the University of Warwick, happy teams are more productive and more likely to stay.

Laughter triggers dopamine, that feel-good chemical that boosts learning, sparks engagement and builds camaraderie. When leaders use humor, they aren’t just lightening the mood. They’re lightening the load. Humor helps people breathe, share and collaborate. It signals: it’s safe to be yourself here.

Even a lame dad joke like, “I lost my job at the orange juice factory…I couldn’t concentrate,” encourages a warm, friendly atmosphere. (Hey, that’s why they’re called “dad jokes” and not “weird-uncle” jokes). 

When leaders use self-effacing humor, their teams see someone more real and relatable. I call this HAuthenticity — humor plus approachability. Getting more productivity from your team doesn’t require you to be a performer. But you will need to be more present. Laughter happens when you stop pretending you’ve got it all together.

You are a humor being

Long before you could walk or talk, you could laugh. It’s a built-in human feature. So when a leader tells me, “I’m just not funny,” I say, “Perfect. Nobody’s expecting you to do stand-up.” You don’t have to be the wittiest person in the room — just the most human. Unlocking your sense of humor doesn’t require you to become a stand-up comedian. It’s about showing up with warmth and a willingness to say, “Let’s enjoy this together.” Leading with laughter opens doors, minds and hearts.

The 5 humor tactics

The five “laugh languages” empower leaders to boost morale, deepen connection and make work feel more like — yes, I’ll say it — fun. You don’t need to take an improv class. Though that’s a great idea. And the goal is not to force the funny, but to encourage fun. Here are the five humor habits: 

1. Surprise

Laughter thrives on the unexpected. Medical science is documenting that surprise is like dopamine in disguise. Whether it’s an unexpected comment in a meeting or a slide that takes a funny turn, a little burst of shock and guffaw wakes people up. It tells them: yes, we’re working — but we’re also human and this is enjoyable. Look for ways to delight people with the power of the unexpected. For example, a successful financial planning firm in Arizona throws their clients a “Tax Relief Party” after April 15th. Clients love it and keep coming back year after year. 

2. Wordplay

You can tap in to the fun of witty language and clever banter. No need to become Shakespeare or a pun master. (Although when it’s fourth down, you may want to pun). Wordplay is about twisting phrases and reframing reality with a bit of levity. One manager I met had a sign on his desk: “Ask me about my vow of silence.”  It made people smile. And smiles build bridges. A clever line can ease tension and spark a connection. One of the greatest humanitarians in world history offers us a business lesson. Mother Teresa said, “A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” 

3. Amplify

Exaggeration can turn frustrations into fun. Let’s say your team is based in Minnesota. It’s winter time. Host a team, “It’s SO cold contest.” Offer a silly prize for the funniest entry, like: 

• It’s SO cold, my Starbucks is serving coffee on a stick.
• It’s SO cold, I had to open the fridge to heat the house!
• It’s SO cold, I chipped a tooth on my soup. 

Finding (and amplifying) shared struggles helps teams handle their stress without feeling crushed by it. You acknowledge the hard stuff, while you are also saying: We’ve got this.

4. Poke

This one is a sure-fire funny technique. And it works best when you poke fun at yourself (hey, beat the rush). “I thought my boss was an idiot. Then I remembered … I’m self-employed.” And it’s OK to gently tease others if you know they are cool with it. Key rule: If in doubt, leave it out! The best humor is sharp enough to pop a balloon, but should never break a heart.

Poking fun breaks perfectionism. It says, “We’re all gloriously imperfect here.”

5. In-jokes

This type of humor is like a private Wi-Fi password. It tells your team — we have a special bond and we are in this together. 

Invite your teammates to come up with a silly nickname for the office scanner. (“Scanny DeVito”, “Scan Solo” or “Skanye West.”  Give out fake awards like “Most Creative Use of Sticky Notes.” This type of humor is not what you’d experience at a comedy club. It’s insider stuff. But it “kills” in a work setting. One client I worked with told me, “We laugh so much together, I forgot this was work.” That’s the kind of forgetting we need a lot of.

More relatable, not less credible

Note for leaders: Some managers and bosses worry that humor makes them look unprofessional. (And it can, if you overuse it or share inappropriate jokes). But healthy humor doesn’t subtract from your credibility. It adds to your likability! When you show you can laugh at yourself, you’re actually showing strength. It signals confidence, warmth and trust.

One exec I know adds a funny self-doodle to her weekly emails. Some hit, some flop. But her people read every one and look forward to her communications. That’s a win.

It’s not about being funny — it’s about being willing

It takes guts to go for grins. Here’s what to do: Find the funny that fits your personality. You might get a groan. You might experience silence, but that can be funny too! But you also might make someone’s day.

Humor breaks down walls and builds bridges. It’s human and healing. Laugh for a change. It gives your people the space to open up, share creative ideas and do great work together. Let’s stop calling it a “soft skill.” Humor is a vital leadership tool for connection and collaboration. 

Here’s what humor delivers:

• A sense of community
• Less stress
• More enjoyment
• Better retention — of people and positivity.

When you show your team that it’s okay to try, miss and move forward. That’s leadership. And let’s face it: nobody “bonds” over a perfectly formatted Word doc. But people remember a shared laugh. Humor increases your impact. You will be amazed at the power of positive humor.  Or as I like to say: WOW… I say it backwards — WOW!

A final nudge

Let’s recap: Humor isn’t a distraction. It’s a driver. It creates bonds. It shifts culture. And it doesn’t cost a thing. You don’t need to be hilarious. Just be more human. Bring a smile to someone’s face today. If that doesn’t work, surprise everybody with cupcakes. Watch the smiles appear. 

Because every workplace is just one shared laugh away from becoming a much better place to be.