The Laughter Factor , livre ebook

The Laughter Factor
The 5 Humor Tactics to Link, Lift, and Lead
Adam Christing
The Laughter Factor
Copyright 2025 by Adam Christing
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First Edition
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021019892
Names: Christing, Adam author
Title: The laughter factor : the 5 humor tactics to link, lift, and lead / Adam Christing.
Description: First edition. | Oakland, CA : Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc, [2025] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2025003624 (print) | LCCN 2025003625 (ebook) | ISBN 9798890570802 paperback | ISBN 9798890570819 pdf | ISBN 9798890570826 epub
Subjects: LCSH: Leadership-Psychological aspects | Wit and humor in business | Laughter
Classification: LCC HD57.7 .C528 2025 (print) | LCC HD57.7 (ebook) | DDC 658.4/092-dc23/eng/20250604
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025003624
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025003625
2025-1
Book production: Westchester Publishing Services
Cover design: Ashley Ingram
Author photographs: Jack Robert Photo
For my dad, Paul Duane Brown
Your laughter inspired me.
Your love anchored me.
Thank you for always showing up.
Contents INTRODUCTION WHAT IS THE LAUGHTER FACTOR? LEARN WHY HUMOR IS THE CURRENCY OF CONNECTION. Laughter: the original like button. TACTIC 1 SURPRISE! DELIGHT PEOPLE WITH THE POWER OF THE UNEXPECTED. Unless it involves calling instead of texting, you re golden. TACTIC 2 POKE MAKE FUN OF YOURSELF AND GENTLY TEASE OTHERS. Have a laugh at your own expense, and beat the rush. TACTIC 3 IN-JOKES DISCOVER THE LAUGHTER IN SHARED EXPERIENCES. Nothing says friendship like a joke that only three people get. TACTIC 4 WORDPLAY USE WITTY LANGUAGE AND CLEVER BANTER. It s fourth down, and you re punning. TACTIC 5 AMPLIFY EXAGGERATE STORIES AND SITUATIONS FOR IMPACT. Turn your small tales into tall tales. LEADING WITH LAUGHTER LET HUMOR OPEN DOORS AND HEARTS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION. Because nobody ever said, I love how serious you are all the time. For Further Fun Q A: Funny You Should Ask The Last Laugh Acknowledgments Index Work with Adam About the Author
Introduction
What s going on with her?
The neural circuits in her brain are firing rapidly. She feels an electrifying surge of dopamine. Endorphins are flooding into her bloodstream.
She is taking in extra oxygen.
Her face is contorting. Her body temperature is rising. Suddenly, a burst of sound escapes her mouth at approximately seventy miles per hour.
She feels euphoric.
What s going on here? Has she taken drugs? No . . .
She s laughing.
An involuntary reaction that starts just after birth and stays with us until we enjoy our last laugh, laughter is the universal sound of bliss. It ripples through comedy clubs, board meetings, sales gatherings, and Zoom meetings. Funny fuels our social media and sparks viral videos.
We hunger for humor. We pay for it, seek it out, and judge others by how well they can make us laugh. He has a great sense of humor, or She brings so much fun to our team.
You get it. Laughter is lit. But . . .
What If I m Not Funny?
Many think the problem is that others don t think they re funny.
Truth is, the issue is this: You don t think you re funny. But you are .
You do have a sense of humor. But maybe up until now your sense of your own humor style has just gone unrecognized or underdeveloped. Be of good cheer. This book is designed to help you find your funny.
I ll be your host for a joy-filled journey. I know what makes people laugh. I have been in the funny business since I was fourteen. As a professional comedian, funny keynote speaker, and master of ceremonies, I ve shared the stage with hilarious comedians like Martin Short and have learned humor tools from some of the funniest people on the planet. I am president of an entertainment bureau called Clean Comedians . We represent more than a hundred stand-up comedians, comic-magicians, and dozens of humorous speakers who know how to get big laughs without being offensive.
Laughter may seem random, but in The Laughter Factor , you ll discover how to trigger it on demand-whenever, wherever, and with anyone.
I have a message for you. The joke s in you. Not only do you have a sense of humor, but a sense of humor has you. Because you are human , you are by nature a humor being .
This book is your invitation to feel more at home with your own personal brand of humor. You are about to discover five ways of being funny-and one or more of them will fit you. You are about to explore the habits of humorous people-people who make humor work for them-and you ll find that you already gravitate toward one of these humor tactics.
Are you someone who likes to surprise other people? Do you enjoy poking fun at others-and at yourself? Or do you get a kick out of delighting friends and associates with inside jokes? Perhaps you like to remember and relive funny moments you ve shared with friends. Or you re known for telling larger-than-life stories. Whichever of these ways of being funny is you (and it could be more than one of them), it s time to harness your sense of humor and really dial it in.
Get ready to increase your self-mirth. Do you manage people? Laughter can bring them together. Are you in sales? Funny is money. If you re a leader in your company or field, you know that leaders bring people together . And many people are discovering that laughter is a powerful way of creating and forging those links. Do you need to gather your group for an important meeting? Humor helps. Are you a teacher or preacher? According to the American Psychological Association, research shows that laughing leads to learning.
Make a Splash
Do you remember the first time you stepped onto a diving board? Your heart raced, your legs wobbled, and a million what-ifs filled your head. What if I belly flop? What if I embarrass myself? But then, you jumped. Splash! The water embraced you, and your world cheered.
Telling a joke or a funny story for the first time feels like that. It s scary at first-what if it falls flat? But as laughter ripples through the room, you realize it was worth it. And you can t wait to do it again.
When you connect with people with a splash of humor, they will feel linked to you, like being on LinkedIn. And if being funny makes you feel nervous, I got you. In the Q A section at the back of the book, I give you eight tips for overcoming nervousness.
Are you a LinkedIn addict like me? If you ve congratulated someone on a work anniversary but don t know where they work . . . If you posted cat pics during a meeting on productivity . . . If you ve added a hashtag to your middle name . . . Or if you checked your feed while reading this . . . . . . you might be a LinkedIn addict.
We Are Linkers
We see ourselves as thinkers, but at heart, we re linkers . And here s some great news:
Humor is a shortcut to trust.
-Adam Christing
(Yes, I just quoted myself. Author privilege.)
And do you know the fastest way to form trust? Through laughter.
Humor isn t just a nice-to-have-it s the missing link for leaders. Laughter skips the formalities and says, I see you. I get you. I like you.
Here s a story.
I was once invited to sit in on a team meeting. It was going off the rails-negative financial reports, awkward silences, and tension. It felt like there was a dark cloud hovering in that room.
As the guest presenter, I was asked to share an outsider s perspective.
So I said, I think we can all agree on the real problem here: Todd s tie!
(Todd was well known for wearing a different tie to work every day and loved being noticed for it.)
The mood shifted. Stress dropped. Everybody laughed, including Todd.
He laughed the most!
That s the magic of humor. It builds a bridge. It links us together.
Want to connect quickly?
Stop overthinking and start linking .
Your Humor Can Stand Out-Even If You re Not a Stand-Up
In my work as a professional event emcee, I often have the privilege of introducing CEO s, New York Times bestselling authors, celebrities, and entertainers. Through these experiences, I ve discovered a concept that can truly change the game: the laughter factor