Can You Laugh at Yourself? Why Great Leaders Don’t Take Themselves Too Seriously
Leadership Is Serious—But You Shouldn’t Be
If you’ve ever worked for a leader who takes themselves too seriously, you know how exhausting it can be. Everything feels high-stakes. Mistakes are crises. Humor is nowhere to be found.
But the best leaders? They know how to laugh at themselves.
Because here’s the thing: if you’re afraid to look foolish, you’ll never take risks.
The Time I Took Myself WAY Too Seriously
Early in my leadership career, I believed I had to have all the answers. If I didn’t, I felt exposed—like a fraud. So I pretended. I over-explained. I resisted asking for help and when the help was offered I rejected it.
I remember one time when my boss sat me down and asked me what I’d done all day. I couldn’t escape his eagle eye and out of it came a realisation that I was focussing my time disproportionately on the activities of a leader.
It was painful to admit when I was wrong. But I was so focused on showing I was “right” that I didn’t realize something important: nobody expected me to be perfect.
In fact, my team trusted me more when I could own my mistakes and laugh them off. They knew often more acutely where my short comings were so if I could admit them we could find a solution and move forward.
How to Loosen Up as a Leader
Admit When You Don’t Know – It builds credibility, not weakness.
Celebrate Your Own Mistakes – If you can laugh at them, so can your team.
Encourage Playfulness – Fun teams perform better. It’s science.
Leadership is about trust, not ego. And if you can accept your shortcomings and laugh at yourself, your team will follow your lead.
👉 Struggling to let go of perfectionism? Let’s talk.
