The Gifts My Father Left Behind Part 2: Sense of Humor
I previously shared the first of four themes or legacies that the employees of my father's company wanted to maintain. This emerged from a conversation we had a few days after my dad passed away this past June.
"He made me laugh every day," said one of the employees. This brought me back to my time working at the company. Indeed, every day I would hear my dad's voice echoing through the office. I particularly remember how he would make this one employee laugh—someone who had the loudest laugh that would resonate across the walls. My dad loved a good witty satire, joke or riddle. It made work feel lighter. When mistakes were made, it didn't feel like it was the end of the world.
A few years ago, I read Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown. Thinking about my father's approach to work, I realized how important it is to laugh (which is a form of play) in our professional lives. According to Brown’s, research: play supports creativity, social skills, and resilience. We often forget this and think laughter is a waste of time. We focus so intently on production, growth, and efficiency that we forget to enjoy the journey and laugh along the way.
The Science of Laughter
Laughter is good for us. It increases our intake of oxygen-rich air and improves circulation, which may reduce the risk of cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, and depression. Laughter also increases the brain's production of natural painkillers and stress relievers.
Researchers used PET scans to study participants' brains after they watched comedy clips with close friends for 30 minutes. The study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, found that social laughter increased pleasurable sensations and triggered endogenous opioid release in the brain. Researchers also discovered that participants had elevated pain thresholds after watching comedy.
In other words, laughter increases the brain's production of endorphins—feel-good chemicals that relieve pain and reduce stress while helping us feel calm and happy.
Martha Beck's The Joy Diet discusses daily practices for a more joyful life, including the habit of laughing at least 30 times a day.
This made me wonder: Does laughter in leadership really matter?
The Benefits of Humor in Leadership
Research shows several benefits of leaders who embrace laughter and humor:
Enhanced Leadership Effectiveness and Trust Leaders with an inclusive, lighthearted, and optimistic sense of humor are perceived as more approachable, competent, and trustworthy.
Increased Creativity and Innovation Laughter loosens cognitive patterns, making people more willing to share novel ideas. Leaders who embrace humor create psychological safety, allowing others to take chances and share their thoughts.
Better Performance with Less Burnout Positive humor can buffer stress. Employees with humorous leaders report lower emotional exhaustion and higher job satisfaction.
My Personal Journey with Workplace Humor
I used to believe that to be professional and efficient, specially in HR, I had to be serious all the time. I always had witty comments—something I learned at home from my dad—but I kept them to myself. As I grew professionally, I let go of that belief and started being more authentic, sharing humor in ways that were embraced by my colleagues. This made work hours something I looked forward to and created better teamwork. It sounds counterintuitive, but it works.
Strategies for Adding Laughter as a Leader
Here's what I've learned about incorporating appropriate humor into leadership:
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character in the NBC sitcom The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell
Be Authentic We all find different things funny. Take the opportunity to find your own voice, listen and learn what your team finds humorous. Don't force humor that doesn't feel natural to you.
Know When Not to Use Humor Intent matters—never use humor to mask passive aggressiveness or vent frustration. When you are angry or disappointed, address it directly: 'I'm frustrated about this deadline' is infinitely better than a sarcastic joke that shames and forces others to decode your real feelings. Avoid humor entirely during serious conversations about performance issues, layoffs, or personal crises. Read the room and prioritize empathy. In other words, don't be Michael Scott.
Laugh at Your Own Mistakes As a leader, you already carry natural authority. Laughing at your mistakes and humanity builds trust and gives others permission to be human and make mistakes too. Success comes from learning from mistakes, not from avoiding risks in pursuit of perfection.
Watch Reactions What seems funny to you might not be to others. I know of a team that uses a safe word when someone feels uncomfortable—this creates a sort of sandbox safe space to let humor be part of work while maintaining boundaries.
Learn and Adapt Humor is a type of play, and like any play, things might occasionally go too far. This doesn't mean you should stop forever—learn the lesson and improve. It's like training puppies: when they bite too hard during play, you let them know it's not okay, and that's how they learn.
Take Fun Breaks Sometimes watching something funny, like The Office, during a needed break can help you see the lighter side of situations. I'm pretty much obsessed with I Love Lucy—especially that conveyer belt episode.
Final Thoughts
We have limited time on this earth, and 30-40% of our waking hours are spent at work—we might as well bring joy to it. I'm not surprised that my dad's team wanted to keep his sense of humor as part of what they maintain.
Despite being very ill and medicated in his final months, my dad never lost his mental capacity. I like to believe that all the joy he shared and experienced played a part in that resilience.
How many laughs have you had today? What's your go-to strategy for adding laughter at work?