Page 127 - Getting to the Heart of High Performance

Studies show that the most effective leaders get people

laughing two to three times more often than average
executives do. These leaders who are most skilled at dis-
playing humor rank in the top one-third of bonuses,

and are rated “excellent” by 90 percent of their peers
and bosses. 18

While the latest research is showing that traditional
IQ accounts for only 4 to 10 percent of career success, 19

the social intelligence trait of humor keeps going up
in importance.

You might be thinking, “That’s not good news. I don’t

have an ounce of comedian in me. I can’t even tell a
decent joke.” Don’t worry. Most of the time humor
comes out of friendly banter, amusing observations
about the situation at hand, or maybe from poking a lit-

tle fun at oneself.

The Power of Funny 111