Is There A Place For Humor In Leadership?

Humor is essential to sound leadership. The ability to take the edge off of a sharp comment or the acknowledgment of a failure through a tactful jest can be both helpful and befitting to those around. Serious people can learn to be funny by prayerfully maintain dignity of character, while aptly poking fun at themselves. The ability to balance jest and retain character is a fine line. Many a preacher has lost his influence by too candid of humor. Likewise, many able men of God have minimized their usefulness unknowingly by being too serious. The man of God must keep humor in his tool chest; pulling it out only when needed and promptly replacing it so as to retain sound influence.

Leaders in any forum can be helped greatly by managing a good sense of humor. Dirty jokes, foul language, and racial overtones must be avoided at all costs. Whether in the business world, barber shop, supermarket, or the local city park, all leaders must be careful to use proper etiquette. Leaders need the respect of those they are leading. If they sever that cord, then they risk loosing the momentum they had in their project, hinder the potential of their subordinates, and lose credibility. Bottom line... leaders should tastefully use humor to their advantage.