You know them very well! Every organization has at least one office clown. In the dark corridors of every organization lurks this jokester. They pop in and out of offices with their weird sense of humor, sharing quips and puns that ‘deadpan’ and mostly fall on deaf ears. We humor their behavior, tolerating the jokes and behavior, offering faint laughter and pats on the back saying ‘that is a good one!’. This behavior becomes even more unnerving when the office clown is also a leader or senior leader in the organization. What are the real effects of humor in the workplace and leadership?
The Power of Leadership and Humor
A recent study by the Wharton School of Business sheds some light on the power and effect of humor in the workplace. Specifically, the study sought to clarify the effect on confidence, competence and the status of leadership in the organization. The study found that the use of humor, in an appropriate and tempered manner, projects confidence and competence of the person using it. When using inappropriate or excessive humor, the perception of confidence remained high in perceptions, but seriously detracted from the perception of their competence. The office clown is respected for having the guts to tell the joke or the humorous banter, but they are perceived as lacking competence, to the point of being ineffective in the workplace. A more compelling fact from the study was that a person who used humor appropriately increased the perception of their confidence level, boosted the perception of their professional competence and was selected more often for leadership roles.
Have a Great Sense of Humor
Traditionally, when interviewing people for leadership roles, one of the characteristics sought after is a great sense of humor. There is a value in having a positive outlook of people and life. Being humorous and having the ability to relate to the humor of others is a key characteristic required to get along in society. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that humor and the ability to use it appropriately in a business environment is a powerful leadership tool and a skill in demand.
