A sense of humor is not only a key element of effective leadership, but it can also break gender stereotypes and become a powerful tool for women to achieve professional success. Recent research has revealed the fact that women with a sense of humor may perform better in professional environments compared to the inherent image in popular culture.
To gain a deeper understanding of how humor from women and men is received, a series of studies were conducted, focusing on the area of public speaking. These studies analyzed speeches from individuals from various industries at events like TED and TEDx, and by evaluating viewership, independent reviews, and online view counts, it was found that women speakers with a great sense of humor were more popular with the audience, had greater influence, and were more capable of motivating others than those women with less humor and equally humorous men. The degree of humor was principally assessed by tracking the frequency of audience laughter.
The research found that whether it was at large TED events or smaller local TEDx talks, regardless of the topic of the speech or the type of humor used, the conclusions were consistent. We saw bestselling author Susan Cain’s talk on TED discussing the power of introverts, with over 32 million views, where Cain’s humor played a significant role: “I just published a book on introverts, which took me about seven years to complete. These seven years went by happily for me,” she humorously explains, “Now, my job is completely different, I need to stand here and talk to everyone about this book, discussing introversion (laughter)… This is certainly my ‘awkward speaking year’.”
Analysts noted that Cain’s humor showed her confidence, passion, and leadership potential, and the audience generally found her to be amusing, inspiring, and persuasive. Humor can effectively convey the speaker’s enthusiasm and ability, and is a strong and effective tool for women in professional environments. In fact, in the workplace, women full of enthusiasm are often considered to lack capability, while those who demonstrate capability are thought to be not enthusiastic enough.
The study also showed that self-confident women are often considered less likable, less influential, and more threatening than men, unless they deliberately express friendliness and enthusiasm. However, humor can help women break free from this “enthusiasm-capability” double bind, helping them to show passion without losing a sense of capability. In the study of TED talks, we confirmed that women with a sense of humor are perceived as both capable and enthusiastic, indicating that a strong sense of humor may be the key to helping women exert greater influence in society.
Although TED talks are a unique setting, researchers involved in the study of humor’s role in broader fields have also conducted similar examinations in the entrepreneurial sector.
In an in-depth analytical study, investor interest, professional jury reactions, and a comprehensive assessment of over 200 projects across five entrepreneur competitions were examined:
The study indicated that female entrepreneurs lacking a sense of humor found it more difficult to be victorious during the project pitch phase compared to their male counterparts, and also had a harder time receiving positive evaluations from investors and judges, which could partly originate from broader gender biases. However, appropriate utilization of humor can effectively narrow gender differences, and a humorous presentation can improve the chances of victory for both men and women.
Take Jennifer Ivens as an example, she humorously added when introducing her startup’s automated container inspection system: “We have a highly professional team supporting the work behind the scenes. Of course, that includes myself… I’m an expert in the container shipping industry. Thus, rest assured that Canscan will meticulously inspect every container.”
Compared to women who experience strong pushback when they try to challenge the gender stereotype of being “inferior to men,” current research finds that women often receive more positive evaluations when refuting gender prejudices about their ability and intelligence. Because humor is generally associated with wit and capability, female speakers who effectively use humor to break the stereotype that ‘women lack humor’ are able to gain positive evaluations, demonstrating their ability, diligence, and independence, without appearing too arrogant or rude.
It is also important to recognize that humor is not universally applicable in any situation. It is merely one skill in the communication toolkit, and its effective use requires an understanding of the context. Some humorous remarks may be appropriate in a TED talk or startup pitch but not in a board meeting or press conference. However, research indicates that appropriate humor can establish a positive and energetic image for women in public speaking situations like pitches, keynote speeches, panel discussions, and online seminars, enhancing their influence and likelihood of success.
Importantly, speakers should not insert any joke at random. Studies reveal that the way women convey messages through humor often differs from men; their humor is more unique, personalized, context-specific, and based on personal experiences. Regardless of gender, outstanding speakers are adept at naturally displaying humor, which usually means adjusting content and style to ensure alignment with their personal identity.
Research further suggests that the correct use of humor can help women break through the shackles of gender bias and achieve victory. However, the pervasive stereotype that “women aren’t funny” often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: Women are told from a young age that they are not humorous enough, and thus, they dare not show their sense of humor in public, exacerbating the stereotype. Nevertheless, this negative assertion also indicates that women face a tremendous opportunity—the performance contrary to gender expectations can bring surprise and reap unexpected benefits. Since people do not expect women to exhibit a sense of humor, when women display humor appropriately, they can win positive evaluations from the audience and more fully demonstrate the enthusiasm, capability, and influence that true humorists possess.
Ella Miron-Spektor is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior with rich research in creativity and learning capabilities promotion, as well as in cultivating team performance and paradoxical thinking, currently serving at INSEAD, the European Institute of Business Administration.
Julia Bear, who teaches at Stony Brook University as a professor of organizational behavior, focuses on how gender affects negotiation processes and its overall implications for organizational gender differences.
Emuna Eliav, a user researcher and project manager at Cognit, a user interface expert company, concentrates her research mainly on the roles of humor and gender issues within organizations.
Huang Li is an associate professor of organizational behavior at the European School of Management and Technology, whose research areas include power and status in organizations, interpersonal trust, and the development of individual creativity, especially the role of psychological contradictions.
Melanie Mirowitz serves as an assistant professor of entrepreneurship and family business at the European School of Management and Technology, focusing her research on the influence of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial roles in mobilizing financial and non-financial resources for new ventures.
Eric Louygov, a doctoral student at the European School of Management and Technology, is dedicated to researching psychological stress in the workplace environment, especially the effects on trust, creativity assessment, and organizational culture.
