Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life
Jennifer Aaker
Top 10 Best Quotes
“Ultimately, a culture of levity creates a safe place for employees. When you feel safe and feel like you’re being led through levity versus fear, you’re much more apt to take chances. You’re more likely to try things without worrying about being ridiculed, or ostracized. You’re more willing to innovate—to push new ideas and to push against old ideas.”
“Fear is the greatest killer of creativity,” Asai explained, “and humor is the most effective tool I’ve found for insulating cultures from fear.”
“Where there is serious work punctuated by levity—that’s where we find meaning.”
“My job as a leader isn’t to prevent mistakes from happening; my job as a leader is to correct them as quickly as possible when they do happen. However, if nobody feels comfortable bringing me the bad news—it’s going to take me a lot longer to correct those mistakes.”
“In the wise words of the Dalai Lama, “Laughter is good for thinking because when people laugh, it is easier for them to admit new ideas to their minds.”
“When you “punch up”—that is, tease someone of higher status—you can seem brave and confident. But “punch down” by making fun of someone of lower status, and you can seem like a jerk or a bully.”
“Using humor in the face of failure can help us manage our emotions so we can learn from our mistakes and bounce back quickly, decreasing the transition time from one failure to the next attempt. As leadership expert Dana Bilky Asher writes: “We cannot lead if we cannot learn. And yet, our capacity to take in and process new information—to generate new insights and true growth—shuts down in response to the fear of letting people down. Laughter opens us up again.”
“The freshest, most interesting comedy is not based on mother-in-law jokes or Jack Nicholson impressions,*4 but on exposing our own personalities”
“Shared truths create the foundation for humor. So instead of asking yourself what is funny, start by asking what is true. We’ll find humor from there.”
“Lack of trust impacts your employees’ motivation and productivity, the likelihood that they’ll jump ship for a new company, and how much time you (and everyone else) spend frantically putting out fires that could have been avoided had your people felt comfortable discussing sensitive issues with you.”
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