I’m not as funny as I used to be.
And I’m okay with that.
By funny, I mean
Witty. Clever, Quick.
I put a high value on wit;
not so much on “funny”.
Even so,
I’m not as all that as I used to be.
And for good reason.
I used to be the gunslinger
of witty (& oft times) withering comments.
Part of my leadership training
taught me things I never knew about
my preferred brand of humor.
Recently I watched a leader
stand in his power with insightful
comments…
…and then throw it all away with a joke.
Every. Single. Time.
Entertaining? Yes; Effective? No.
Another colleague’s
humor fell just shy of
passive aggressive abuse:
biting sarcasm,
followed immediately by a purred
“you-know-I-love-you.”
It was like being in the room
with a beautiful, coiled snake.
No wonder everyone on this team is tense.
My training taught me
humor is a gift and a skill
that has to be thoughtfully managed.
A friend reminded me
It’s okay to turn down an opportunity.
“You don’t have to have all the money,”
he said.
True of humor, as well.
I don’t have to have all the laughs.
Just the right ones.
