“A sense of humour is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.”
– Dwight D. Eisenhower
The history behind this day-
World Laughter Day was first celebrated on May 10, 1998, in Mumbai, India. The day was arranged by Dr Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. Now, World Laughter Day is an annual event celebrated to raise awareness about laughter and its healing benefits. It is a positive manifestation for world peace and is intended to build up a global consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter.
Its relevance today, especially while pursuing entrepreneurship-
The importance of this day is highlighted, now more than ever, as, lately, prompted by the COVID19 pandemic, life has been challenging for one and all. Amidst adapting to the ‘new normal’ and simultaneously responding to the clarion call of our PM to become, ‘Atma Nirbhar’, start-ups and entrepreneurship have been on the rise. It is noteworthy that in exchange for the autonomy and excitement of running your own business, entrepreneurs have to deal with heightened levels of uncertainty, responsibility, and stress, now, more than ever; which sometimes adversely affects them professionally as well as personally. Therefore, to ‘beat the heat’, it is extremely important to don the ‘humorous hat’ while pursuing entrepreneurship! In fact, according to a research by BELL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, the two most desirable traits in leaders/entrepreneurs are a strong work ethic and a good sense of humour!
Being humorously enterprising!
Humour, is perhaps the best but the most underestimated tool for managing the stress of entrepreneurship while enhancing problem-solving abilities. Being humorous will not only ease out difficult situations/problems at hand, but will also improve relationships within the organisation and beyond. In short, while pursuing entrepreneurship, it is true that humour strengthens leadership skills. Let us see how does that happen –
- Putting stress to rest –
Stress, if not handled properly can harm our physical as well as mental well-being. One of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs face is stress. Everything from defining the long-term vision of the company to figuring out which domain names to register can heighten stress in the body. However, if stress is the villain, then humour is the superhero. Humour relaxes muscles, decreases blood pressure, and improves our immune system. Taking a few minutes to watch a funny video after a stressful meeting or have a friendly chat after a long brainstorming session can help you manage stress and come back to your work refreshed and engaged.
- Some humour a day will keep all problems at bay –
Well, adding an element of humour will not literally erase all your problems, but will certainly give your problem-solving skills an edge above others. Entrepreneurs, constantly need to solve problems. Whether that is fixing an issue with a client or figuring out why your Wi-Fi keeps dropping, humour will warm up the brain for brainstorming better solutions. It has been scientifically proven that laughing causes the release of serotonin in our brains, which improves focus, objectivity, and overall brainpower, all vital to enhancing creativity.
- Add humour, be human –
The entrepreneurial journey can indeed be a taxing one. The easiest way of making it feel like a ‘cake-walk’ is making sure that people around you, aiding you in the journey are pro-you. This can happen only when you are humane and laugh off their shortcomings while tactfully making them conscious about the same. No matter what your business is, you have to deal with other human beings. From people you hire to the clients you serve, to the people you meet every day, you interact with people. Simply sharing a laugh can go a long way in strengthening these relationships. Laughing off small errors or making a joke about it will stand you in good stead. Humour can help entrepreneurs build relationships with people around them. From building group cohesiveness, reducing status differentials, diffusing conflict and aiding in trust building among teammates, a pinch of humour can do ALL of that!
- A humorous and happy leader = happy employees, and a thriving business_
Yes you read it right! A humorous and happy leader can create the desired outcomes. In many ways, entrepreneurship is about leadership–influencing people to join your company or clients to buy your products. Hence adding a touch of humour certainly makes your task as an entrepreneur easier. However, using humour as a leader/entrepreneur isn’t necessarily about being funny, but rather about making the work more fun. By promoting fun as a core way of working, an entrepreneur can help employees to enjoy their work more while also helping them do it better.
So, signing off today on a humorous note with a dose of the laughter medicine for the entrepreneur in you – have a good laugh!
?One entrepreneur is explaining to another how he got into business.
“I was afraid to go out on my own, but my former boss gave me a jump start by telling me the most encouraging two words in my life. One day he came into my office and said “You’re fired.”
?Funnily, to steal ideas from one person is plagiarism but to ‘steal’ ideas from many is research!:)
?Why do clowns make bad entrepreneurs?
Because they’re into some funny business ???
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
Poonam Sinha
