By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to clarify your facts before you make a decision. Reading time: 4:24

Laughter is the best medicine, you’ve heard for years. Yet how many times do you laugh in a single day especially now that you have the added responsibilities in your leadership position?

No wonder the most effective leaders have to work at sharpening their sense of humor. A good laugh or even a mild smile can go a long way in helping you practice your CYA- Check Your Assumptions-in your decision-making process.

A good laugh or two can lift a big burden of pressure off your shoulders . That’s why you deserve a break- maybe even a fracture of your funny bone or at least your tongue firmly wedged in your cheek. Hone your sense of humor today.

Savor the following three humorous Leadership Mints. Freshen your ability to practice your CYA. And perhaps refresh your leadership thinking in the process.

1. The 13-year-old daughter was concerned. Her parents were refinancing their house again. The daughter needed clarification: “But dad haven’t you been paying on the house all these years,” Amy wondered. Yes her dad assured her.

She looked around her bedroom like a queen looks at her throne and said with a good deal of exasperation: “Well, is MY ROOM at least paid for?”

2. “Father, your TV is broke,” the housekeeper said to the Priest. The Priest corrected his housekeeper: “That’s our TV, not mine. It is the entire Church’s TV. I have taken an oath of poverty. I can’t own anything.” The house keeper understood but must have forgotten because a few weeks later she announced to the Priest “Your DVR is not working.” CYA- Check Your Assumptions.

Once again the Priest explained his vow of poverty and how the DVR is ours not his –the whole congregation in fact actually owns the DVR, the TV and everything else in his home.

A month later the Priest is meeting with his boss, the Bishop and the Housekeeper interrupts their meeting because of an emergency in the house. This time the Housekeeper knows the drill: “Father, there’s a mouse under OUR bed.” The bishop’s eyes popped out of his head. The Priest choked in embarrassment. The Housekeeper blushed. CYA- Check Your Assumptions.

3. Three guys arrive at a train station 30-minutes before the train is ready for boarding. So they decided to get a sandwich in a diner next to the train station. They were having such a good time that they forget about the clock.

They came to SEE ME OFF!

And suddenly they heard the train’s whistle. The train was already beginning to leave the station. All three of them run to catch the train. Two of them got on board. The third started to cry: “I missed my train” And then the same person turned his crying into laughter.

A bystander said to him: “Let me get you some help, you are very emotional right now. You missed your train and you are crying and then laughing about it. I really better get you some help.”

But then the would-be passenger says, “No you don’t understand. You know these two other guys? Well, they came to the train station to SEE ME OFF.” CYA- Check Your Assumptions.

In all three stories, the humor stems from assumptions that are never clarified or checked. That’s why leaders always check their assumptions so they can enjoy the last laugh instead of being the brunt of a joke that took advantage of their tunnel vision.

It’s too easy to get so enchanted with one room in a house that you think of that one room as separate and distinct from the whole. It’s too easy to get so accustomed to a process or procedure that you mindlessly follow it no matter what circumstances have changed. And it’s way too easy to get caught up in the moment and start running after something before you’ve even figured out why you are running. CYA- Check Your Assumptions.

Leaders don’t follow the crowds. Leaders don’t follow procedures robotically. Leaders don’t separate a tactical part from the strategic whole.

They are too busy leading. And laughing all the way to the bank.

Today’s ImproveMINT

Sharpen your sense of humor to keep your leadership thinking in mint condition.

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