Today is Tuesday, November 11th, and you’re listening to The Morgan Snyder Show.
We are officially in the holiday spirit here in the Snyder home and it has me reminiscing.
I’ve been thinking about all the Turkey Bowl games, the Christmas Eves, and other events with my family growing up in Ohio.
Julie has told me I’m getting more emotional as I get older. I don’t think much has changed.
The other night I was driving my daughter back from her ballet rehearsal for The Nutcracker and had tears welling up as she told me how excited she was to perform. Ok, ok, maybe I am a little more sensitive.
Anyway, with all of this swirling around in my head, I thought back to those Snyder get togethers in the fall.
The colder weather. The Ohio State football. Going to my grandma’s house and eating apple pie.
So many good memories.
If I could go back in time and relive those moments again, I would go back just for the laughs.
We’d play Perudo, and there would be a lot jokes. We’re at the dinner table and my grandpa is telling stories and making everyone laugh. My uncle Josh is doing his best Chris Farley during our white elephant.
As Snyders, we have a hard time being serious, no matter the occasion. I guess that’s the mask we wear to deal with life’s ups and downs.
And it’s not like I’m in a family where you say, “Oh, you know so and so, always being a clown!”
Everyone in my family is funny. My dad and my four uncles are funny. My cousins are funny. My brothers are funny.
You’d probably say I was exaggerating, but I’m 100% serious. I can’t think of many people in my immediate or extended family where I could honestly say they don’t make me laugh or aren’t fun to be around.
Explains a lot who I am. I’d like to think that I have a decent sense of humor and how to get people smiling and having a good time.
The other side of that coin is If I’m not able to crack jokes, (forced to be serious) I get really uncomfortable. It’s hard for me to go through a conversation and not try to come up with a stupid joke.
I’m sure people have judged me for that. But I mean, come on. If you were surrounded by the people I’m related to, it would be extremely hard for you not to come out of that experience very sarcastic and over the top.
Maybe that’s why this whole idea of being funny and rejecting the normal definition of professionalism has been such an interesting idea to chew on for the last six months.
I’m able to be more Snyder with people and they’re actually responding well to it. It’s amazing.
Similar to what I’ve been writing about here and elsewhere, humor really is the fastest way to build an in-group. No one was safe in my family. It didn’t matter who you were. You were susceptible to a nice roast.
It was good natured and no one aimed to really harm anyone’s ego. (Well, maybe they did, but I didn’t feel like a target)
I guess this a good time to segue into one thing I wanted to talk about:
Anyone can be funny..
..and this is where I get pushback.
“Morgan, this is all great for you. You’re a writer.’You’re a creative. I’m a 50-year-old CEO of a logistics company. I’m not funny. I like spreadsheets, EBITDA and golf. This isn’t for me.”
I don’t think I can mold you into a stand-up comic. My clients and I aren’t writing jokes as Linkedin or X content. If we did, it would probably sound inauthentic. It’d be cringey.
I think one really practical piece of advice for any senior leader is your job is not to find your funny. Your job is to find your perspective.
We’re not looking for jokes. Funny isn’t “ha-ha.” Funny on social media really is,“huh... that’s true.”
I think we’ve established the point over many episodes that funny is just a vehicle for smart. It’s an observation. And you, the CEO, are smart. You have observations. You have a perspective. You’re some of the sharpest people on planet earth.
What I’m getting at is humor is really just...truth.
So, how do you find it?
This may sound completely wrong, but I think it would be helpful to run a gripe session with yourself.
(And if you’re in the mood I can help you with this 👇…)
This produces an EXCELLENT content-mining interview. Sit down and type out your answers to these questions.
* “What’s the dumbest trend in my industry right now?”
* “What’s a piece of corporate jargon I absolutely hate?”
* “What’s a rule’everyone in my field follows that I think is secretly stupid?”
* “What’s an email I got this week that made me angry?”
* “What’s the worst business advice I’m hearing everyone repeat?”
Anger is the root of all great satire. A gripe is a passionate opinion in disguise. A gripe is a perspective.
That’s where the gold is.
When you think, “These 25-year-old gurus telling me to wake up at 5 AM are idiots. I wake up at 5 AM to let the dog out, not to build an empire before breakfast”...BOOM. That’s a post.
I also add that’s where you can find yourv oice. You’re not making up jokes. You’re just...telling the truth.
In that way, it’s easy to find your comedic edge.
Wit falls into a few key personas. Find yours.
* First we have the Dry Observer: You’re not angry. You’re amused. You stand back and just point out the absurdity of it all. The voice is witty, dry, and often understated.
* Example: “Our Q3 was strong. I’d love to say it was all genius strategy, but honestly, my main skill was just approving spreadsheets.”
* Then we have the Self-Deprecator: You build trust by punching yourself. You disarm the audience by making fun of your own (relatable) flaws.
* Example: “I’m a tech CEO, of course I have no idea why the Zoom audio isn’t working.”
* We also have the Contrarian: This is the “girl dad” voice. You see the herd running one way and you deliberately run the other. The voice is strong, declarative, and built on the word “Wrong.”
* Example: “Everyone says ‘culture is everything.’ They’re wrong. Your product is everything. A great culture with a bad product is just a fun-run to bankruptcy.”
* Finally, the Absurdist: This is the most “advanced” move. You take a common idea (like ‘hustle’) and stretch it to its logical, absurd conclusion.
* Example: “My 5 AM routine is so optimized, the sun now texts me when it wakes up.” (I had to go with some Chuck Norris joke)
You just have to be you. Whatever that looks like.
So, “I’m not funny” is just an excuse. It’s lazy.
You have a perspective. You have gripes.
You have a ‘funny strategy’ that can work for you.
..
My free book Keep It Light is on Amazon Unlimited. It’s a year’s worth of content starters for the busy executive. If you read it and love it, please give it 5 stars (along with this podcast). Reviews make a big difference in people finding my work.
You also go over to thoughtleadertoday.com and find time with me if you need a creative partner for your Linkedin and X content.
My friends: keep writing, keep pushing, and I’ll see you next time.
