Last week I wrote about my top 40 Leadership skills that every leader in any business would be wise to incorporate into their daily action plan. 

As was pointed out by several very astute readers I actually had "Sense of Humor" listed twice. Number 4 and number 32. Not only was it my mistake but in two different emails my proof reader pointed it out to me.

Number 23 on the list was, "Leaders take the blame when something fails and they give others credit when it works."

I screwed up. Or did I? Maybe subconsciously I deep down feel that having a sense of humor is so important I listed it twice? Having a sense of humor plays a huge role in your ability to lead and an even bigger role in the game of life.

I often go into workplaces where there’s an environment of intimidation. People are afraid to speak, let alone have a sense of humor. Having a sense of humor doesn’t mean that you don’t get the job done or that you are not serious about your work.

It simply makes for a happier workplace. A happier workplace means happier workers. Happier workers mean happier customers. Happier customers mean you make more money.

Had I not listed a "Sense of Humor" twice I would have added "Enthusiasm" as another trait a leader has to possess. From my perspective enthusiasm is a component of sense of humor. I realize this thinking might be a stretch for some of my readers, but if you show me someone with a sense of humor in most cases you will see someone with a ton of enthusiasm.

One of my great mentors, Thomas Johnson, who passed away at a very early age, was one of the most enthusiastic people I’ve ever met. And, he had an amazing sense of humor. These two strengths had a major impact on his ability to lead. From one end of the dealership to the other people would run through a brick wall for Thomas.

Enthusiasm is one of those attributes that doesn’t necessarily come natural for a lot of people. We’ve all heard the phrase "fake it ’til you make it." If you are struggling with your enthusiasm maybe you just need to pretend you are enthusiastic and pretty soon you will be.

Ok, so let’s put my mistake into a workable deal for you. Try to have more fun in the workplace and do it with enthusiasm. That’s all I’m gonna say…Tommy Gibbs