Why Humour Is a Superpower at Work and in Life (And How Anyone Can Harness It. Even You.)

How often do you laugh at work? That’s the question Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas, the authors of Humour, Seriously use to kick off their Ted Talk on the importance of humour in the workplace. According to a global study of over 1 million respondents, people stop laughing when they enter the workforce, only to resume laughing at the age of 80. The problem is that the average life expectancy is 78!

Humour helps people show the truth, become vulnerable, and even be more courageous, with a positive impact on others.

Now, seriously, this book is essential to great leaders because it illustrates how: Leaders with a sense of humor are seen as 27% more motivating and admired, while the teams that work for them tend to be twice as creative, and their employees are 15% more engaged!

According to the authors, laughter is like exercising, meditating, and having sex all at once, and it’s “HR approved”.

If you’re thinking that you’re just not funny, read on because it turns out that humour and comedy are different things to begin with. In the book, you can take a quiz and discover where you are today. Most importantly, you can learn how to nail it in your own personal style.