ABSTRACT
Humor is a powerful catalyst for trust in leaders. Charisma creates followers, although not necessarily trustful ones. Leaders who are able to use humor and charisma prove to be the most effective leaders. Yet, while amusement may be universal, humor and fun aren’t, and while charisma may be universal, the understanding of it isn’t. Whether humor helps or harms depends on a leader's contextual and cultural sensitivity and well-honed communication skills. Laughter makes everyone feel cheerful, but it is smiling that builds trust and credibility, provided it is the right kind of smile. Trust, like reputation, is quickly lost, but unlike it, it can rapidly be conjured up subliminally. Charisma is a mysterious subliminal attribute. Leaders endowed with it carry a weapon of mass attraction and paired with toxic traits,it can cause can cause enormous damage. To a certain extent, charisma can be mimicked and help leaders communicate more effectively. Storytelling does, too, but if one thing is missing, storytelling is just telling some story.
