HUMORISTS
Thought leaders who advocate the importance of humor.
Steven Greenway
President of Swoop Airlines
“Observable and relatable humour is a big part of our brand and a powerful way to connect with travelers. In a safety and service driven industry it’s important to find that sweet spot; we’ve had content that has both hit and missed the mark, but both edges prove to cut through the noise and capture attention while provoking conversation. These are all things we are accomplishing with our content led marketing strategy.”
Karyn Buxman
Keynoter. Author. Neurohumorist.
“If you could be smarter, richer and better looking without breaking a sweat, breaking the bank, or eating kale, would you be interested? Yes? Then here’s all you have to do: Use more humor. No joke! Practice strategic humor and discover for yourself just how powerful humor can be.”
Daniel Burrus
Author of seven bestselling books
“Extraordinary leaders understand the strategic importance of humor as a vehicle to embed key points and concepts within the hearts and minds of their people. Emotion opens mental and physical pathways in the brain. The best way to get a new concept or key idea to ‘sink in’ is to share it with a story that elicits an emotional response. You could share a story that makes them cry, but I prefer a humorous story that gets them to laugh. That’s the kind of story the listener will intern share with others which magnifies the impact of your core message.”
Marc Deschamps
Managing Partner & Executive Chairman Drake Star Partners
“In business, humor serves to create trust. Last year the head of our Netherlands office and I were pitching for an important $100 million + new mandate. Against one of the most prestigious, global investment banks. Using humor in our presentation, we got to a point when the two of us could not stop laughing. Not really something investment bankers normally do when pitching. For a moment we thought our prospect was unsure how to react. Then, a few seconds later they joined in the laugh. The trust the shared laughter created ‘opened up’ the discussion to a more personal, in-depth level. We won the mandate.”
Libby Gill
Executive Coach, Leadership Expert, International Speaker
“Having started my career as a talking Christmas tree, a tap dancing bear, and a hand model for Fancy Feast cat food, I can’t say I’ve ever taken myself too seriously. And working in the hectic but humorous world of television before becoming an executive coach, I’ve seen time after time that the best leaders are those who recognize that laughter (at their own expense, but never at anyone else’s) can connect people and drive performance better than any corporate team-building exercise ever could.”
Ken Schmidt
Marketing Maverick, Former Director of Communications for Harley-Davidson
“Every association we have with a business is a reflection of its culture which, in turn, is a reflection of its leadership. So what could possibly be better for a business and the people it serves than leadership that embraces the most desirable, attractive, unifying and model-able human quality, humor?”
Brigette Hyacinth
Expert on 21st Century Leadership
“Humor acts as a catalyst to influence and inspire others. It fosters an upbeat atmosphere that encourages interaction, engagement and creative thinking. Leaders who use humor put others at ease and make themselves more approachable. Humor is a great way to win over a team.”
Mervyn Eyre
President & CEO Fujitsu Caribbean, Central America & Mexico
“Contemporary leaders must understand that ultimately, their role is to be the curator of human centric experiences, for which laughter and joy are essential ingredients. Perhaps this can start in the boardroom to get individuals to LOL or even ROFLMAO!!”
Tommy Greenwald
American Playwright and Author
“I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate the important of humor in the working world. From a little joke at the end of an email, to breaking the ice with a few laughs at a beginning of a presentation, it’s become clear over the course of my career that not only is laughter the best medicine, it’s also the best way to solidify a business relationship. Which reminds me: These two executives walk into a bar…”
Thierry Sanders
CEO of MEKAR, Indonesia
“Laggardship is the new leadership. Ever been on a hike with a large group of people? It’s the slowest person that sets the pace. Gradually everyone realizes they have time to enjoy the scenery and get to know each other better. This exemplifies how humor can be used to make a crowd think differently, and get your team to accept and work as a team. Leadership is getting a team to work together, accepting each other’s weaknesses and turning them into strengths.”
Michael Kosarin
Producer, Arranger and Emmy Award winning Music Director
“As a music director and conductor for films, concerts, and Broadway shows, rehearsals can be intense and the pressure to accomplish a lot in a small amount of time can be great. The “old school” approach for conductors was a dictatorial one, and often involved berating the orchestra or performers. I’ve found that the effective use of humor can engender an atmosphere that helps everyone concentrate and make it through the long days. Even in a time crunch, taking the time for humor gets you to a successful finish line faster!”
DR. Anthony Paustian
Educational Psychologist, Innovator and Author
“One of the biggest drivers of game-changing creativity is attitude. Creative leadership is a process, never a result, and that process must be built on a foundation of positive emotion in order to persevere. I believe there’s no better positive emotion than humor. The laughter that comes with it will ultimately help anyone ratchet up their innovative spirit and see it through until the end.”
Patrick Leysen
VP for Innovation at BPOST FutureLab, Belgium
“The magic about a good laugh is that it takes away any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy between people. And since business is about people, humour helps us to emotionally connect. So it’s time to not only recruit people based on their ‘IQ’ and ‘EQ’, but also on their ‘HQ’ (Humour Quotient). Can you imagine how much more fun interviewing people would be?”
