How Humor Transforms Teams

How to boost morale, foster creativity, and lead effectively—without crossing the line.

November 29, 2024 • Reading Time: 7 minutes

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Hey fellow humanitarian leader,

It is 6 am, and I had a very short night.

Luckily, as I get older or more experienced, as I like to say, I also become an early riser. I need less sleep than my 12-hour after-parties sleep, and I find these early mornings to be the most productive time of my days.

There is some irony in it. Only 10 or 15 years ago, I could not even think before the sun was shining, and now I do my best there.

Speaking about irony, I want to emphasize the importance of humor in your humanitarian leadership role. Separate the two well, or you might create a disastrous situation.

Irony: the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.

Humor: the mental faculty of discovering, expressing, or appreciating the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous : the ability to be funny or to be amused by things that are funny

Merriam-Webster

Using humor at work can make you become a followed leader. Irony can make your team hate you.

Humor as a Tool for Stress Relief and Resilience

Biologically, humor triggers the release of endorphins, the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals, natural painkillers and stress relievers. It is no surprise that in difficult times, people tend to laugh, be it out of nervousness.

Humor can also help build your team's resilience when under serious pressure. It acts as a social equalizer, reducing hierarchy and tension in group dynamics. It can also defuse conflicts and help team members find common ground in disagreements.

You can already see the importance of proactively encouraging humorous moments. Maybe you can share a light-hearted personal anecdote that the team can relate to or find humor in your work environment. I am sure that you will have plenty of inspiration in your organization.

Make sure to avoid two risks: overuse and cultural sensitivity.

I was in Bangui, Central African Republic, a humanitarian hub that many French-speaking humanitarians experience at a certain point in their professional lives. My (favorite) Central African female colleague came in after one week of holidays, and her male co-worker told everyone how good she looked after the holidays “with all that added weight”!

My Swiss colleague was shocked. She would have killed someone for such a compliment (compliment?). But we all had a nice laugh, the local joke was respected, and the atmosphere in the office remained excellent for the whole day.

Positive and Affiliative Humor

Positive humor is a powerful leadership tool, especially in demanding humanitarian settings. It fosters a collaborative and trusting environment where team members feel valued, understood, and motivated.

Affiliative humor, in particular, strengthens connections by focusing on shared experiences and lighthearted anecdotes that resonate across diverse groups.

Using them naturally fosters collaboration, builds trust, and boosts team morale.

And it is not me saying this. Studies show leaders who use affiliative humor are perceived as likable and trustworthy, which translates into higher engagement and loyalty from their teams.

If you want your team to improve, share humorous stories and try to use self-deprecating but not self-defeating humor.

Leaders with a good sense of humor are seen as 27% more motivating.

Tailor Humor to Your Audience

Humor is a powerful tool for connection and engagement, but its effectiveness depends mainly on understanding your audience's cultural, contextual, and emotional landscape.

In diverse teams, especially in humanitarian settings where cultural norms and individual sensitivities vary widely, humor that resonates with one group can fall flat or offend another. Leaders must navigate these nuances carefully to ensure humor enhances, rather than disrupts, team dynamics.

Don’t make jokes about bombs with your Lebanese colleague. Don’t make jokes about sex in Afghanistan or about vodka in Jordan. And if you want to make racist and sexist jokes, well, this job is not for you.

Foster Creativity and Engagement

Proper humor promotes open communication. Team members are encouraged to share ideas without fear of judgment, one of a leader's main challenges. Power dynamics will be less rigid, allowing junior members to voice their ideas.

With the right mindset, you will look at problems from unexpected angles, making collaborative problem-solving more effective. Humor enhances collaboration: teams led by leaders who use it effectively report higher engagement and creativity levels during brainstorming sessions.

Here are a few strategies that you could use to inspire creativity and engagement:

  • Break the ice in meetings with light humor to set a positive tone and put participants at ease.

  • Reframe challenges through humor.

  • Infuse humor in problem-solving discussions to help clarify complex issues with humorous analogies or metaphors.

  • Encourage playful competition through lighthearted contests.

Balance Humor with Seriousness

I had a great relationship with one of my Afghan colleagues. I could make jokes about his extensive family and his ten siblings. I knew my limits. But the moment he mentioned that the 11th died under a bombing, the atmosphere had to come back to seriousness and empathy.

I will write about empathy in one of the next emails, by the way.

When you use humor, you should maintain professionalism and not diminish the significance of humanitarian efforts. You should rather use it in a well-timed manner to foster the emotional stability of your team, especially in high-pressure moments.

So, what now?

Watch this short TED Talk called “Why Great Leaders Take Humor Seriously”; it is life-changing.

Finally, try to add some humor to your day-to-day work environment. The team will benefit from it!

Resources

Thanks for reading,
Luca