GSOH required: Why being funny at work can help your career

Whilst a 'GSOH' is a requirement most commonly found buried in a newspaper dating archive, humour can surprisingly be a strategic leadership tool.

A report in the Financial Times found that leaders can harness their funny side to improve confidence, improve likeability and bridge gaps in status.

Citing a 2017 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers found that humour plays a key role in group hierarchies. However, it only increased status when it was used well.

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'Women aren't funny': BP 'fire' employee over humour

Negative types of humour on the other hand, such as mocking others or being self-defeating, can be a blow to your credibility.