At around age 23, something quietly tragic starts to happen to most of us: we stop laughing. According to a Gallup poll of 1.4 million people across 166 countries, the frequency with which we smile or laugh each day starts to plummet in our early twenties. What gives?

The answer lies in the increasingly complex, high-stakes environments we live and work in. These spaces often feel too unsafe, too “serious,” too grown-up for humor. And so, we begin to show up at work leaving not just our jokes, but a lot of our full selves at home.

Contrary to what Plato thought (that humor distracted people from important things), it turns out that the loss of levity is actually a loss of something vital.

Humor makes us feel better (if you needed science to prove that): When we laugh, our bodies release a powerful cocktail of happiness-inducing chemicals:

  • Dopamine, which gives us pleasure
  • Oxytocin, the bonding hormone that builds trust
  • Cortisol levels drop, making us less stressed
  • And we get a hit of endorphins, giving us that slightly giddy, life-is-good feeling

Humor Makes Leaders More Trustworthy (Even If They’re Not Funny): Multiple studies show that leaders who use humor—even if they’re not particularly good at it—are perceived as more trustworthy and competent. Why? Because employees aren’t looking for mysteriously brilliant, polished figureheads anymore. They want real humans. Leaders who admit to flaws, speak like real people, and can laugh at themselves.

Humor Builds Stronger Teams: Humor doesn’t just help with leadership—it supercharges teams too. In one study of over 50 teams, researchers found that the presence of humor in meetings predicted better communication, stronger problem-solving, and higher overall performance over time.

Humor contributes to creativity: Humor helps people relax. And relaxed people do bolder thinking. They share riskier ideas. They listen better. They trust each other. Want psychological safety? Try laughter.

Ok, I get it – but I’m nowhere close to being a stand up comic.

Let’s bust a myth: humor doesn’t mean becoming the office clown or trying to crack jokes 24/7. It’s helpful to think of humor as more in the realm of levity than comedy.

Levity is about being open to joy and looking for it around us; just greeting the world with an openness to laughter can make a huge difference to how people interact with us. “When you walk around on the precipice of a smile, you’ll be surprised how many things you encounter that push you over the edge.”

Laughing at what’s funny around us can itself be enough; but if you do want to build the skill of making people laugh, it is one that you can hone. If you’re interested in learning how to do this, check out the book Humor, Seriously (by Stanford professors Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas; the quote above is from them). It’s an easy to read (and fun!) guide to the value of humor and how to develop it.

Curious About Your Humor Style?
We do all have a sense of humor and understanding what our style is can help us wield it with more intentionality.

Take the Humor Styles Quiz (Martin, R. A., Puhlik-Doris, P., Larsen, G., Gray, J., & Weir, K. (2003). Individual differences in uses of humor and their relation to psychological well-being: Development of the Humor Styles Questionnaire. Journal of research in personality, 37(1), 48-75.)

You can access it here – https://tinyurl.com/humorstyles

Find out how your humor shows up across four different dimensions and if you like, answer some reflective questions to deepen your understanding of the impact of your humor on yourself and others.

Download the file to your computer (sorry, we’re slightly low tech today…ahem…always), first take the quiz without looking at the four styles and then look at your scores.

How to Bring More Humor Into Your Workday

So you’re not trying to be a stand-up comic. Great. Here’s what you can try instead:

1. Bring lightness to the way you communicate

Try removing jargon and stuffiness from your mails and write like one human being talking to another (you can ask ChatGPT to help you with that ☺). Or as the book suggests, try spicing up your subject lines and sign-offs. For example:

“Out of office until the 12th. Yours will be my favorite email to reply to on return. With love (and favoritism),”

2. Lighten Up Your Meetings

Some ideas we’ve tried to good effect at Navgati meetings

  • Put up baby pics and guess who’s who
  • Wear silly hats for five minutes (no one’s too senior for silliness)
  • Try Zoom filters
  • Invent new words for emotions (eg “Uber Doober Doo” – the feeling of joy when a cab driver shows up without first calling and asking where you want to go)

3. Call Back Moments of Shared Laughter

This one’s gold. Referring back to a previous funny moment in a group builds trust and makes people feel seen. If something funny happens during a call, make a note. Refer back to it in your follow-up email or the next meeting. It’s a small move with big relational returns.

4. Don’t Try to Be Funny. Just Look for Reasons to Laugh.

Dick Costolo, former Twitter CEO, said it best “The easiest way to have more humor at work is not to try to be funny—just look for moments to laugh.”

Humor isn’t a performance. It’s an invitation. You don’t need the perfect punchline. Just the willingness to notice the absurdity and beauty around you—and the gumption to share it.

In Conclusion: Humor Is a Leadership Skill. Practice It.

The most human leaders are the most memorable ones. Humor can help you connect, inspire, and navigate tough moments with grace. It’s not about being hilarious. It’s about being real, being kind, and being open to joy.

After all, the world could use more lightness. Why not start with you?