Leading with Laughter: Why Humor Belongs in the Boardroom

Last year, a coaching client shared a wonderful moment from a high-pressure review meeting. He opened the session by saying, "Welcome to the Hunger Games—may the dashboards be ever in your favor!"

The room burst out laughing, delighted by this clever twist on the famous Hunger Games quote, "May the odds be ever in your favor."That one line broke the ice, softened the tension, and reminded everyone: we’re all in this together. The mood lifted, the conversations opened up, and fresh ideas started flowing.

All because someone chose humor—not to escape the challenge, but to make it feel more human.

That’s the magic of lighthearted leadership.

As we celebrate World Laughter Day today, I’m reminded of Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga movement. He believed that laughter wasn’t just an emotion—it was a practice, a bridge to connection across cultures, communities, and teams.

Leaders, here’s the thing, you don’t have to be a stand-up comedian to lead with humor. You can start simply by:

-> Making space for team banter
-> Sharing stories of when things hilariously went wrong—and what you learned
-> Letting your team see that it’s okay to be imperfect sometimes.

Because often, all it takes is a genuine smile to shift the energy in a room.
Remember: when we laugh together, we lead better.
How do you bring humour into your leadership style?
Would love to hear your stories—let’s laugh and learn together!