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Click here for our speaker on Humor and Leadership
Using humor as a tool for Leadership
Humor, like leadership, is used without a great deal of understanding behind the dynamics of the event. Unlike leadership though, few theories have emerged to explain the process of humor. This report will seek to define and explore the purposes of humor in leadership as well as its use as a presentational strategy.
What is Humor?
Humor is defined as: (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 2000):
| 1 a: | a normal functioning bodily semi-fluid or fluid (as the blood or lymph) |
| b: | a secretion (as a hormone) that is an exciting of activity |
| 2 | a in medieval physiology : a fluid or juice of an animal or plant; specifically : one of the four fluids entering into the constitution of the body and determining by their relative proportions a person's health and temperament |
| 3 a: | that quality which appeals to a sense of the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous |
| b: | the mental faculty of discovering, expressing, or appreciating the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous |
Obviously, we're more concerned with the third definition. Philosophers, psychologists and intellects have wondered just what humor is for quite some time. Professor of Philosophy John Morreall (whom I interviewed while in Williamsburg, VA for the Federal government's New Leader Program) presents a good working definition of humor as "enjoying incongruity" (1989). This definition is important as it takes into account both the incongruity of the object and the subjective participation of the appreciator.
Humor as Leadership Presentational Strategy
Gruner (1970) claims that humor can increase either the popularity or influence of the speaker. He also, through his long career of researching humor, reports the following benefits of using humor in speeches:
| • | Humor produces more positive audience reaction toward speakers |
| • | Enhance the interestingness of the speech |
| • | Influence the effectiveness of persuasive speeches (positively or negatively) |
| • | May produce better long-term recall of the speech |
| • | Enhances both interesting and dull speeches |
| • | Can enhance the character rating of speakers |
The warning is that speakers need to carefully choose the amount and type of humor used. Importantly (and we'll touch on this in our cautions), speakers should avoid sick or clowning humor in order to build speaker respectability.
Self-disparaging humor can be used to control difficult and uncomfortable situations. Think about a time you've used it to diffuse a situation.
Zillmann and Stocking (1976) claim that women have a much greater preference to watch self-disparagement humor than men. To explain the results the authors point to the broader social context in which women and men function, suggesting that gender roles may allow males less ability to enjoy poking fun at themselves. Chang and Gruner (1981) suggest that self-disparaging humor was significantly effective in speeches if it did not offend the values of the audience. In their study they also found little decrease in the positive rating of the speaker even with the introduction of self-disparaging humor. Gruner warns, "Apparently, self-disparaging humor needs to be indirect…and based on clever word-play, not direct exaggeration of one's own personal defects".
Workplace humor can be used to project the culture of the organization, "Humor may also have a pervasive effect on organizational cultures, and serves to define the roles of employees..." (Duncan, Smeltzer, & Leap). As noted by several authors, the leader plays an important role in the symbolization and projection of the culture. Leaders must provide meaning for followers.
Insights into Leaders' Humor
Davis and Kleiner (1989) explicitly define the importance of humor to the leader. Like other humor theorists, they indicate that humor is driven by the desire for superiority, the drive to "get" the joke, and the need to release internal tension through the telling of the joke. These authors also point to the practical benefits of humor in leadership, namely:
| • | Reducing stress |
| • | Helping employees understand management's concerns |
| • | Motivating employees |
In terms of stress reduction, several organizations (Safeway, Internal Revenue Service, Northwestern Bell, Manville Corp.) have integrated humor training to stem rising health care costs. Davis and Kleiner also state the ability to communicate the concerns of leaders to employees is maximized with effective humor, as is the ability to motivate employees into action.
Kets de Vries (1990) suggests that humor is a powerful method of "controlling leadership's potentially destructive outcomes". Humor can be used to mediate an excessive leader's behaviors. The organizational fool uses humor to overcome the power of the leader. Kets de Vries further remarks that humor is used to norm certain actions, but also to change norms that may be outdated or unpopular. He argues that in the role of the sage-fool (court jester), the humorist who understands the social norms well enough to avoid a fatal violation, is important to overcome the power wielded by the organizational powers. He concludes, "The sage-fool becomes the counterweight of the person in power...which often proves to be highly effective as a safety device in preventing organizational pathology".
Strategic Uses of Humor
Humor is a skill that leaders can use to have impact and create results in the workplace. Hudson offers humor as strategy for leaders in the use humor to contrast incongruent ideas. The incongruent situation could arise when an employee performs improperly. The leader can utilize a non-disparaging type of humor to show that the employee's improper action and organizational values are inconsistent, highlighting the need for change, and releasing tension while teaching the correct procedure.
One of the most beneficial uses of humor is the type that releases strain and tension in the employees. The catharsis that occurs from the release of laughter can be useful in many different contexts. This type of humor seems most appropriate in situations were tension is escalating beyond a productive limit. As Winnick points out, the ability to bring a problem under control is one of the most important characteristics of humor. Humor also serves the function of reducing the overall stress level of the organization, a point that will be expanded later.
Humor can be used to simply deliver a message about the appropriateness of certain behaviors, be that human action or communicative action. Leaders can produce a pun or joke that points directly at the employee's behavior. Interestingly, this use can reinforce positive desirable behavior, as well as discourage the negative behaviors that sometimes occur. This humor can be in the form of the self-disparaging comment, but the leader must remember to keep the credibility high if they are attempting to discourage certain behavioral forms.
Humor can certainly effect changes in tangible outcomes as well. Specifically, humor can be used to reduce the stress inherent within the modern organization. Humor serves this function several different ways. The culture that is created by the relevant humorous act can transform organizational stress into something more manageable. Michael Burger, a humor specialist, notes that humor can get people in a more relaxed mood which causes them to be more receptive to changes (Nation's Business, 1985). Robert Orben also suggests that humor can create rapport, relieve tension, defuse hostility, and motivate an audience.
Orben also speaks of the second type of outcome that has been largely ignored except through anecdotal evidence. Humor, for many, is but one means to increase the satisfaction level of the individual, the social group, and the larger organizational culture (Nation's Business, 1985). Davis and Kleiner suggest that humor has direct effect on the level of satisfaction in the IRS. Finally, the evidence in terms of the use of humor having an effect on workplace variables like turnover, burnout, and the level of production have simply not been adequately researched. All of these tangible outcomes must be further studied in order to assert that humor can help people and organizations.
A few warnings!
Duncan (1984) and Davis and Kleiner (1989) provided several important cautions when attempting humor.
Among the implications:
| • | Humor should not be avoided; simply approach humor with respect for the fellow person |
| • | Minimize the offensive nature of joking by avoiding jokes that discriminate against people (even lawyers) |
| • | Aggressive, putdown humor should be avoided generally |
| • | A climate of reciprocal humor (between leader and follower) should be encouraged |
| • | Keep the humor relevant to the situation/context |
| • | Make sure that the humor reflects the interests and language of the followers |
| • | Make the humor brief and conversational, no one likes to get lost in a joke or story and miss the punch line |
| • | If delivered in address form, humor must be adapted to a conversational tone not a written tone |
| • | Use self-effacing humor if the situation warrants (you have high credibility and you may have made a mistake) |
| • | Take your message seriously, don't take yourself too seriously |
| • | Remember to attack the position through humor, not the person's dignity |
| • | Avoid inconsistent humor, its better that people think that you have no sense of humor than to attack them or not have them understand your line of reasoning |
| • | Avoid topics that center on sex, illegal activity, or other organizational topics that are strongly taboo |
| • | Look spontaneous, be prepared |
Conclusions
Humor is a productive tool that can be used by leaders. How humor can be best used and its impact are the next question a leader needs to ask. Humor is more than telling the nominal joke at the beginning of a meeting, or the office cartoon that few people understand. Humor is a dynamic communicative strategy that brings people together. Humor is a trainable skill; a strategy that everyone can use to create a positive workplace environment. However, care should be taken that being the brunt of the joke does not alienate or hurt employees. Leaders must take the opportunity for humor seriously, and take the serious organization humorously.
References
Chang, M., & Gruner, C.R. (1981). Audience reaction to self- disparaging humor.
Southern States Communication Journal, 46, 419-426.
Davis, A. & Kleiner, B.H. (1989). The value of humour in effective leadership.
Leadership and Organizational Development Journal, 10 (1), i-iii.
Duncan, W.J., Smeltzer, L.R., & Leap, T.L. (1990). Humor and work: Applications of joking behavior to management.
Journal of Management, 16 (2), 255-278.
Duncan, W.J. (1984). Perceived humor and social network patterns in a sample of task-oriented groups: A reexamination of prior research.
Human Relations, 37, 895-907.
Duncan, W.J. (1982). Humor in management: Prospects for administrative practice and research.
Academy of Management Review, 7, 136-142.
Staff. (1985). Getting down to funny business.
Nation's Business, 73 (11), 44-46
Gruner, C.R. (1970). The effect of humor in dull and interesting informative speeches.
Central States Speech Journal, 21, 160-166.
Gruner, C.R. (1965a). An experimental study of satire as persuasion.
Speech Monographs, 32, 149-153.
Gruner, C.R. (1965b). A further experimental study of satire as persuasion.
Speech Monographs, 32, 184-185.
Hudson, G. (1979). The role of humor in John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign.
Dissertation from Southern Illinois University.
Kets de Vries, M.F.R. (1990). The organizational fool: Balancing a leader's hubris.
Human Relations, 43 (8), 751-770.
Leventhal, H., & Cupchik, G. (1976). A process model of humor judgment.
Journal of Communication, 26 (3), 190-204.
Meyer, J. (1990). Ronald Reagan and humor: A politician's velvet weapon.
Communication Studies, 41 (1), 76-88.
Morreall, J. (1983). Taking laughter seriously.
Albany: State University of New York Press.
Morreall, J. (1997) Humor Works.
HRD Publishers
Munn, W.C., & Gruner, C.R. (1981). "Sick" jokes, speaker sex, and informative speech.
Southern Speech Communication Journal, 46, 411-418.
Winnick, C. (1976). The social contexts of humor.
Journal of Communication, 26 (3), 124-128.
Zillmann, D., & Stocking, S.H. (1976). Putdown humor.
Journal of Communication, 26 (3), 154-163.
© Alinea Group 2003
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