How often do you hear people laughing where you lead, and why does that matter?
I recently had a conversation with Dr. Josh Epton, the worship pastor at the church where I lead, for the Leadership Culture Matters podcast series, where we discussed why laughter needs to be common in your ministry, workplace, and home. This fifth characteristic - laughter is common - might seem surprising, but it is vital for a healthy leadership culture. Not because the ultimate goal is laughter. The goal is joy, and the fruit of joy is laughter.
When I asked Josh what “laughter is common" means to him, he explained that it is difficult to laugh when you are not enjoying what you are doing or when you are not thankful to be where you are. So, laughter is an expression of being in a healthy environment. Laughter can also be a way to deal with difficult circumstances. And, relationally, laughter serves to disarm people and break down walls, making connection possible.
LAUGHTER’S INFLUENCE
One of my favorite stories related to the importance of laughter is attached to one of the most notable pastors of my grandfather's generation, Dr. Adrian Rogers. He was one of the greatest American preachers and an incredible communicator of God's Word. After Dr. Rogers had passed away, I met a gentleman who had been on his staff for several years, and I asked what he remembered most about working for Dr. Rogers. I expected his answer to be about his biblical insight or his depth of wisdom. Instead, he said, “Dr. Rogers was hilarious. He loved to laugh, and he was always filled with joy.” I love that this is one of his memorable qualities.
When people come into our lives, whether it is during a brief interaction or they serve on staff with us for five or ten years, what a blessing it would be for them to be able to walk away saying, "You know, I didn't always agree with everything he said or did, but I could tell he loved me, and I enjoyed being with him." And it is difficult not to enjoy being with someone who loves to laugh.
Also, Josh and I talked about the importance of being able to laugh at ourselves. As leaders, when we can genuinely laugh at our shortcomings, we are saying, "I am fully aware of the fact that I am human. I am fragile and flawed, and I am thankful the King wants to use me." These are the kind of people others want to follow. Certainly, you want your team to respect you, but it is also beneficial for them to know they can laugh with you, and there is freedom for them to laugh at you because they see you laughing at yourself.
LAUGHTER and PERSEVERANCE
Laughter can also be a balm in difficult seasons. When we go through the hard times of life, ones where we cannot change our circumstances, laughter can be a gift that helps us persevere.
When we are not yet in a place where we can laugh, Josh reminded us that we can start with praise. Psalm 100:4 instructs us, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!" By praising Him, we are putting our focus on Him and taking it off of our circumstances. We are trading our sorrow for a song of praise as He walks with us through those circumstances.
The circumstances that so often rob us of joy on this side of heaven are 100% temporary, and the antithesis of everything that is sorrowful is the presence of the Lord, which is where we are going because we have been redeemed.
The world is chasing happiness, but happiness is temporary. It does not make any difference what we are seeking happiness from - whether it is people, food, drugs, alcohol, sex, or anything else we may have an unhealthy relationship with - pleasure has a law of diminishing returns. No matter how much you chase after it, while it may give you momentary pleasure, it can never leave you fully satisfied. And as you chase after more and more of it, trying to ease your disappointment, it all becomes a self-defeating cycle. But joy does not move because joy is not an emotion. It is a state of being.
Knowing and living out these truths makes it very hard for us to be joyless people. Theologically speaking, there should not be a group of people more joyous than the redeemed. And, again, one of the fruits of joy is laughter.
HOW MUCH LAUGHTER ARE YOU HEARING?
We will end today with this. If you want a healthy leadership culture, you need to ask the question: How often do I hear people laughing? I am not talking about people goofing off to the point that they are not accomplishing their objectives, but how often do the people around you enjoy laughing?
If you are a leader, whether you are the senior pastor, the CEO, the head coach, or part of an organization where you lead a portion of the people, stay attuned to those who work with you, beside you, or for you. If you stop hearing them laugh, check on them. When people are healthy, even in times of great sorrow, there is still room in their lives for laughter. So when someone seems absent of joy, do not be satisfied to simply let them perform, punch a clock, and go home. They are struggling, and you need to check on them.
I hope you will listen to the full episode where Josh and I share a lot of laughs in Episode 5 of the Leadership Culture Matters Podcast here.