Did you know that great leadership isn’t about putting on a professional mask or striving for constant seriousness? Great leadership is about fostering a culture of psychological safety and belonging, not by being perfect, but by being human.
In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I speak with Michael Kerr about the urgent need for more humane, happy, and humor-driven workplace cultures. Michael is a Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame inductee, an international business speaker, a very funny motivational speaker, and workshop trainer, he’s also the author of nine books. For more than 25 years, Michael has traveled the world researching, writing, and speaking about inspiring workplace cultures, inspiring leaders, and businesses that leverage their humor resources to drive outrageous results for their employees and their customers. He has delivered his captivating keynote presentations and training workshops to more than 3,000 audiences, from Austria to Australia, from Boston to Bermuda, from Cleveland to Calgary.
Listen in to learn how positive workplace cultures and the strategic use of humor contribute to higher engagement, reduced burnout, and extraordinary business results. You will also learn about the transformative power of creating people-centered, high-accountability workplace cultures.
Key Takeaways:
- How simple actions like regular check-ins can make a profound impact on engagement and culture.
- The value of building workplaces that energize rather than exhaust people.
- Concrete benefits of humor: improved productivity, engagement, innovation, and retention.
- How making meetings fun can lead to more honest and productive conversations.
- How celebrating mistakes as a leader builds psychological safety and normalizes failure as part of innovation.
- The importance of leading with humanity by balancing business outcomes with emotional well-being.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- [01:36] Michael introduces his latest book, Small Moments, Big Outcomes, and hints at the power of micro-interactions in leadership.
- [02:44] He shares his personal transformation story from a burned-out communications manager to a passionate culture change advocate.
- [07:15] The power of intentionality in leadership practices and how it can transform workplace culture.
- [10:05] He describes laughter as a cultural “green flag” and outlines the measurable business benefits of humor.
- [13:07] How employees thrive when they feel safe to bring their full selves to work, plus what makes a workplace truly memorable.
- [14:43] Understand that humor is about being human, and how laughing at yourself as a leader increases respect and trust.
- [18:59] How leaders who use humor are perceived as more trustworthy because their humanity makes them relatable and approachable.
- [23:29] Real-world evidence of how intentional culture changes led to improved employee and client engagement scores.
- [26:16] The dangers of performative values—how they backfire and breed mistrust when not lived day-to-day.
- [28:50] Why empathy, compassion, and patience must be non-negotiables in today’s fast-changing world.
- [33:53] Understanding that fun and humane workplaces often attract high performers who are driven to succeed.
- [35:20] Michael reflects on inspirational leaders who’ve shaped his worldview—he highlights the traits that make leadership truly impactful.
- [39:27] He explains that workplace culture is shaped in the small, daily moments, not in occasional grand gestures.
Standout Quotes:
- “As a leader, you’re highly contagious with your behaviors, attitudes, and emotions, so think about the mood you want to set.”– Michael Kerr [15:45]
- “When we practice a healthy sense of humor as leaders, we tend to trust those leaders more because they come across as more real.”– Michael Kerr [19:11]
- “Better to have no values than to trumpet your values and then do the opposite or not live up to them because all you’re doing is creating mistrust and creating cynical employees.”– Michael Kerr [26:18]
Listen to the podcast here:
Watch the video here:
Resources Mentioned:
- Learn more about Michael’s work here and connect on Linkedin
- Michael’s new book: Small Moments, Big Outcomes: How Leaders Create Cultures That Fuel Extraordinary Results
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