Mastering the art of humor in leadership: A toolkit for organizational leaders

Abstract

Humor and leadership may seem like strange companions but the positive impact leaders' humor has on employees and work outcomes is no laughing matter! Humor is now being conceptualized as a leadership tool for leaders to strategically use to bring about desired employee outcomes. Yet the literature lacks suitable instructions on how to use humor as a leadership tool. This impedes humor training and development for leaders. We address this by delineating the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities needed to create and use strategic humor at work and including them in a humor toolkit specifically for leaders. Our paper also shows how to ensure the effective transfer of humor training to the workplace and the resultant leadership behaviours that arise due to the use of humor by leaders.