Laugh First, Worry Later: How Humor Builds Resilience and Leadership
Is laughter just a distraction, or a serious strategy for resilience and leadership? This article breaks down what science and history say.
The most resilient leaders are not those who never experience pressure. They are those who maintain perspective while moving through it.
In times of uncertainty, pressure, and relentless change, resilience has become one of the most important capacities leaders can cultivate—for themselves and for others. Surprisingly, one of the most under-appreciated tools for building resilience is humor.
In this Leadership Today article, coauthored by Lori Harris, George Manning, and Tom Morris, we explore the science and leadership implications behind humor and why healthy laughter is far more than entertainment. When used appropriately, humor can strengthen relationships, reduce stress, improve perspective, foster creativity, and help leaders and teams navigate adversity with greater resilience.
Because sometimes the ability to smile in difficult moments is not a distraction from leadership.
It is evidence of it.
CLICK to read the full article from McGraw Hill Leadership Today: Laugh First, Worry Later