Simon Sinek may not make people laugh as often as he makes them think — but in his recent article on leaders and humour
He lands a point close to my heart: humour isn’t decoration, it’s connection. The article puts it plainly: “Humour is more than just a way to break the ice. It can help leaders connect with their teams, reduce stress, and boost morale… It’s an underutilised superpower.”
Well, that’s Humourology 101.
The serious business of a good laugh
We often treat humour like an after-dinner mint — pleasant if it arrives, but hardly essential. Sinek’s team argues the opposite: when leaders use humour well, walls come down, ideas come out, and people feel safe to speak up.
Or as Maya Angelou once said,
“I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh.”
Because laughter signals humanity — and humanity is what people follow.
That’s exactly what Sinek is pointing to — humour unites where hierarchy divides.
In Humourology terms, it’s the difference between a boss people tolerate and a leader people trust.
A quick reality check
Ask a room of executives if they have a great sense of humour, and every hand will go up. Jerry Seinfeld captured the paradox:
“Everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humour, but they couldn’t possibly all have good taste and a sense of humour.”
The Humourology twist is simple: it’s not about being the funny one, it’s about being the human one — the leader who uses wit to lower anxiety, lift energy, and open minds.
What Sinek gets right
Humour is a safe bridge to vulnerability. A leader who can say, “That presentation was… ambitious — and here’s what I’ll fix by Friday,” shows steadiness and humility at once. It’s the difference between defensiveness and credibility. And the result? People lean in rather than armour up.
Three Sinek-friendly micro-moves to try this week
No quizzes. No tick-boxes. Just small shifts that make a big difference:
- Open with a “scar, not a star.” Start your next meeting with a 30-second story of something you bungled and what you learned. Light, honest, done. It signals safety faster than any slide.
- Use affiliative humour in 1:1s. A gentle, shared observation (“Only three acronyms in that email — progress!”) lowers status gaps and invites candour.
- Close with a ‘win & grin.’ Before you wrap, ask for one practical win and one small moment that made the team smile. You end on momentum and belonging.
None of this requires you to be a comedian; it simply asks you to be clearer, kinder and braver.
Mind the line
Humour can heal, but it can also harm. Punch up, not down. Keep the quips inclusive. And remember: a joke that makes you look clever but makes someone else feel small isn’t leadership — it’s leakage.
Why this matters now
Teams are tired. Calendars are crowded. Everyone is expected to produce more with less. In those conditions, humour isn’t a frivolity; it’s a force multiplier. It shortens distances, speeds up trust, and keeps ideas flowing.
The Humourology takeaway
If your humour leaves people lighter, braver and more willing to speak, you’re using it right. If it leaves them guarded, you’re using it wrong. Simple as that.
So here’s to leaders who can carry the weight and still crack a smile. As the Sinek article suggests, humour is an “underutilised superpower.” Time to use it — wisely, warmly, and often.
Simon says start with why. We say start with wit.
See you next Tuesday.
Warmest,
Paul x
