There is no conflict whatsoever between the concepts of taking yourself seriously on the one hand and laughing at yourself on the other.
In fact, some people would argue that being able to laugh at yourself is actually one of the ultimate signs of a high degree of self-confidence and assurance.
At the Stars Institute, we know that there is a balance to be struck. Humor can be exceptionally important in aiding the development of the individual and helping to put some of life’s trials and tribulations into some sort of context. However, that can’t be at the expense of your own self-confidence.
That’s because there are different types of laughter. One comes from the realization that, however accomplished and successful you are, you are also a human being and you will make mistakes. Being able to recognize that and take steps to both laugh at yourself whilst at the same time making sure that you won’t make the same mistake in future, is a very healthy sign of individual leadership development.
There is, however, the slightly sardonic laugh of despair that can come with a classic lack of self-confidence accompanied with the belief that everything you do is doomed to failure. As you might imagine, this is a very negative symptom for self-development and one that any indigenous leadership program needs to recognize and deal with immediately.
Strangely, there is a widely-held belief that successful leaders and individuals must always and constantly take themselves hyper-seriously. In fact, if you look at some of the most successful people on the planet by any measure, you may find that is a gross over-simplification.
Many extremely successful individuals take themselves very seriously indeed but that doesn’t mean that they are incapable of laughing at their own inevitable howling mistakes.
So, should you ever laugh at yourself?
In our view, yes, you most certainly should.
However, that laughter should be based on your self-confidence and secure in the knowledge that the problem is not one that you are likely to repeat in the future.
Let us help you to discover how you can laugh at herself productively rather than negatively!
In fact, some people would argue that being able to laugh at yourself is actually one of the ultimate signs of a high degree of self-confidence and assurance.
At the Stars Institute, we know that there is a balance to be struck. Humor can be exceptionally important in aiding the development of the individual and helping to put some of life’s trials and tribulations into some sort of context. However, that can’t be at the expense of your own self-confidence.
That’s because there are different types of laughter. One comes from the realization that, however accomplished and successful you are, you are also a human being and you will make mistakes. Being able to recognize that and take steps to both laugh at yourself whilst at the same time making sure that you won’t make the same mistake in future, is a very healthy sign of individual leadership development.
There is, however, the slightly sardonic laugh of despair that can come with a classic lack of self-confidence accompanied with the belief that everything you do is doomed to failure. As you might imagine, this is a very negative symptom for self-development and one that any indigenous leadership program needs to recognize and deal with immediately.
Strangely, there is a widely-held belief that successful leaders and individuals must always and constantly take themselves hyper-seriously. In fact, if you look at some of the most successful people on the planet by any measure, you may find that is a gross over-simplification.
Many extremely successful individuals take themselves very seriously indeed but that doesn’t mean that they are incapable of laughing at their own inevitable howling mistakes.
So, should you ever laugh at yourself?
In our view, yes, you most certainly should.
However, that laughter should be based on your self-confidence and secure in the knowledge that the problem is not one that you are likely to repeat in the future.
Let us help you to discover how you can laugh at herself productively rather than negatively!
