About this episode
Hey, hey, Workday Playdate peeps! It’s time for your quick bite of leadership wisdom—a little boost of inspiration, energy, and of course, playfulness to brighten your workday. Today, we’re talking about one of the most underrated leadership tools: humor. That’s right—if you want to build connection, trust, and motivation within your team, you don’t need a corporate retreat or a 100-slide deck. Sometimes, all it takes is a well-placed joke, a moment of levity, or the courage to not take yourself too seriously. Want to add more fun to your leadership style? Try this improv-inspired game: The Mis-Translation Game Pick a ‘translator’ and a ‘speaker.’ The ‘speaker’ delivers a serious workplace announcement—but in complete gibberish. Example: “Gloobity blop floo fandango periwinkle!” The ‘translator’ must confidently ‘interpret’ what was just said. Example: “Ah yes, that means today’s meeting will be catered by an army of penguins!” Rotate roles and let the laughter flow. Why does this work? Because it helps teams embrace the unknown, think on their feet, and find joy in the unexpected. And a team that laughs together? That’s a team that trusts each other. Take it further: Reflect on a leader who used humor to inspire you. What did they do? What’s one way you can bring more humor into your leadership style this week? How can you create an environment where your team feels safe to have fun? And don’t forget—next up, we’re going even deeper with JaMarr Johnson, the "Entrepremedian" who helps leaders use humor to build stronger workplace cultures. You don’t want to miss it! Journal Prompt: Who on your team might be feeling unheard? What’s one small way you can make space for their voice this week? Write it down—and take action. If you’re interested in taking one small action right now, you can check out our newest freebie, The Empathy Cheat Sheet here . Break out this 3-part list of helpful phrases before heading into any conversation or meeting, responding to an email, or hosting a one-on-one call. No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting) Did today’s episode resonate with you? Leave us a review sharing your favorite insight and we’ll send you a free signed copy of I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy. Have another question that we can answer? Leave us a Speakpipe audio clip and we’ll answer it in an upcoming episode. Don’t want to miss another episode? If you’re a Spotify listener, find our show here and click “Follow.” If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, click here and make sure to hit “+Follow.” Want access to a bunch of free resources for your work life? This is your personal jackpot that gives you access to the frameworks that help us thrive both personally and professionally. Whether you’re trying to improve your daily routine, flesh out an idea that you’ve had for quite some time, or want to add more play into your day - these resources have got your back. Want 2 emails a week from us? One with a quick tip you can implement right away to enhance your personal and/or professional lives & one of our famous F.A.I.L. Fourward Friday newsletters? Subscribe here . Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it! Erin’s website Erin’s Instagram Erin’s TikTok Erin’s LinkedIn improve it!’s website improve it!’s Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .