Not the leader who celebrates his own abilities, but the leader who rejoices in the character and ability being cultivated in the precious human lives entrusted to him. Our generation is thirsting for the shepherds, men and women of heart. Persuade followers to comply through rewards for performance. For the first two, humor can serve to build culture and muster energy, but for the latter, humor may seem only to further obfuscate their goals, adding insult to injury. A large Canadian financial institution cooperated in the study, and the researchers asked 322 subordinates of 115 managers to appraise their boss's use of humor.
Transformational leaders use humor most often, laissez-faire leaders least often.
Those transformational leaders who make greatest use of humor also generate greatest performance. An explanation for the contrary findings on the contingent-reward leaders may be in the restructuring that the company had been undergoing as the result of the deregulation of its industry. How firms make human resources serve the overall goals of the business and create distinctive forms of competitive advantage. Every flight deck crew member understands that complex, fast-moving, merciless environment, and knows that everybody on the flight deck is an expert. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania .