Humor: The Power of Laughter in Building a Great Workplace Culture with Steve Cody

Summary

In this engaging conversation, Steve Cody, CEO and founder of Peppercomm, discusses how humor plays a vital role in leadership and business success. Cody shares insights on integrating humor into company culture, emphasizing its power to foster trust, improve collaboration, and enhance employee well-being. Drawing on personal experiences, including the challenges of starting his own company and navigating the dot-com bubble burst, he highlights the importance of continuous learning, empathy, and adapting leadership styles. Cody also teases his upcoming book, 'The ROI of LOL,' exploring how humor can make leaders more effective and resilient.

Takeaways

• 😀 Humor is a powerful leadership tool: It can reduce tension, foster empathy, and improve connections with teams.
• 😀 Humor can make leaders more relatable and approachable, creating an open, less intimidating environment for employees.
• 😀 Every employee at Peppercomm undergoes comedy training, which helps build strong communication, listening skills, and empathy across teams.
• 😀 The concept of 'community' at Peppercomm encourages collaboration and support, distinguishing it from the traditional 'family' dynamic in workplaces.
• 😀 Improv principles, like 'yes, and,' are used to promote creativity, active listening, and team problem-solving in business settings.
• 😀 Humor can also play a role in career development, making difficult conversations (like performance reviews) easier and more engaging.
• 😀 Steve Cody believes that leaders should embrace vulnerability and not take themselves too seriously—being human and relatable is key.
• 😀 Despite the challenges faced when starting Peppercomm, Steve’s adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit helped the company thrive even after setbacks, like the dot-com bubble burst.
• 😀 Continuous learning is essential for effective leadership; Steve strives to stay curious and improve his skills every day to provide better work for clients.
• 😀 The upcoming book, *The ROI of LOL*, highlights how humor can enhance leadership effectiveness and improve workplace culture, with real-life stories from other business leaders.

Q & A

What is the central theme of Steve Cody's upcoming book?

Steve Cody's upcoming book focuses on how humor and laughter contribute to effective leadership. It includes stories from various business leaders who share how humor has helped them become better leaders in the workplace.

Who are some of the notable people contributing to Steve Cody's book?

The book features contributions from business leaders such as Linda Rutherford, the CAO and CCO of Southwest Airlines, and the CCOs of Accenture and Dole, among others.

How does Steve Cody approach leadership decisions regarding promotions and bonuses?

Steve Cody delegates decisions about promotions and bonuses to his middle and senior managers, trusting their judgment over his own since they have a closer understanding of day-to-day performance and individual circumstances. He only gets involved in high-level financial decisions.

What was Steve Cody's approach to building Peppercom in its early days?

In the early days, Steve relied on his network, reaching out to big agency CEOs and trade editors for support. He also capitalized on the dot-com boom, which led to increased business inquiries. His firm, Peppercom, was initially mistaken for a tech company due to its name, which contributed to its early growth.

What major challenge did Peppercom face during the dot-com crash?

The dot-com crash caused a significant loss in business, with nearly 50% of Peppercom's revenue disappearing in a week. This forced Steve to lay off employees and reposition the company back to its original B2B roots.

How does Steve Cody view failure and setbacks?

Steve Cody views failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. He acknowledges the challenges he faced, such as the dot-com crash, and emphasizes the importance of continuous learning to improve as a leader and entrepreneur.

Why does Steve Cody believe continuous learning is essential in leadership?

Steve believes that leadership is an evolving skill, and continuous learning is key to staying ahead. He strives to find new and different ways of leading and is always looking for innovative approaches to leadership and client campaigns.

What is Steve Cody's leadership philosophy when it comes to delegating authority?

Steve Cody believes in delegating as much decision-making as possible to his managers. He trusts them to make the best decisions for the company and only steps in for high-level financial decisions or when necessary.

How did the name 'Peppercom' contribute to the company's early success?

The name 'Peppercom' inadvertently capitalized on the dot-com boom, leading many tech firms to mistakenly assume it was a technology company. This led to a surge in business inquiries, which Steve Cody leveraged to grow the company rapidly.

What key quality does Steve Cody believe is important for leaders to possess?

Steve Cody believes that curiosity is an essential quality for leaders. He considers it a driving force that pushes him to continuously seek improvement and innovation in both leadership and client services.