787: Better Leadership Through Humor, with Chris Duffy

Chris Duffy: Humor Me

Chris Duffy is an award-winning podcaster, comedian, and television writer. He hosts the podcast How to Be a Better Human and you can find his comedic TED talk, “How to find laughter anywhere” online. He is the author of Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

It sometimes seems like someone with a good sense of humor does everything a bit better. Perhaps leadership is no different – but it’s not about landing jokes. In this episode, Chris and I explore why everyday humor is all about paying attention and generosity.

Key Points

• Humor might not make the list of top leadership competencies, but it helps you perform every other competency better.
• A good sense of humor is inherently generous.
• Effective humor isn’t landing the perfect joke or being the center of attention. It’s noticing the humor is everyday work and bravely calling attention to it.
• The first pillar of cultivating humor is simply being present.
• Start with times you are least present and most zoned out. Zero in with a “new bathroom” frame of mind.
• Celebrate the bad stuff and find humor in it. By doing so, you inherently help people appreciate excellence.

Resources Mentioned

• Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy by Chris Duffy (Amazon, Bookshop)*

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

• How to Engage With Humor, with David Nihill (episode 235)
• Get Better at Deep Listening, with Oscar Trimboli (episode 408)
• How to Genuinely Show Up for Others, with Marshall Goldsmith (episode 590)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.