Last week I was doing my regular Thursday night thing—watching the comedy shows back to back on NBC (as I have for years). I was reflecting on how good and healthy it is to laugh and unwind. Then I was reminded of some of the best leadership advice someone ever gave me:

Don't take yourself too seriously.

Great advice and a good reminder for all of us leaders who struggle with pride and trying to always know the right thing to do. I used to always have a picture of Jesus laughing hanging on my office wall (seen above). Want to smile? Google "Jesus laughing" and look at the images here.

When is the last time you laughed so hard that you started to cry? I try to have fun moments with my family and friends where we laugh regularly. I hope you do too. Have you noticed how good it feels to laugh hard? It's therapeutic.

The Chronicle of Higher Education posted an article two weeks ago entitled "The Science of Laughter." In it, they tell us:

"A positive emotional state is a benefit in helping us deal with the stresses and strains of being human. Second, having a good sense of humor helps us to rally social support around us when times are tough. Having people in your corner during tough times is very good for you. There's clear research around that. Third, and most intriguing to me, is that making jokes about the challenges in life can fundamentally change the way we think about those challenges."

In my travels, consulting, coaching and networking, I meet with a lot of leaders—a ton of pastors. I'm constantly trying to encourage and be encouraged by other leaders.

I don't know who I'm talking to, but I want to free you up to take a load off and laugh. Learn some jokes, and try sharing them with others. I know some churches and businesses that ask you to tell a joke in their interview process. This is a test to see if you have a sense of humor and if you can be "normal."

If you can't laugh (and laugh at yourself), you need to do an ego check. Too many leaders are too serious and no fun to be around. Just look at the morale of their team. It's sad to see.

So, if I can encourage you and give you one thing to work on this summer, it's to laugh more and have fun with your team. They'll thank you, and you just might last longer in this tough calling we call "leadership."

Greg Atkinson is an author, speaker, consultant and the editor of Christian Media Magazine. Greg has started businesses including the worship resource website WorshipHouse Media, a social-media marketing company, and his own consulting firm.

For the original article, visit gregatkinson.com.

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