Serendipity Talk: Wanna Hear a Joke? Why Laughter Matters

Things do not look as they were before, and they’ll never be the same again. In life we are faced with more political divisiveness, more organizational complexity, less time, and fewer resources. But laughter has the power to build bonds, forge trust, and improve productivity, even in the most challenging of times. Yet many of us are uncomfortable with letting go and connecting at the most human level. From physical and emotional benefits, laughter is essential. This session will engage attendees with the latest science supporting humor and the impact it can have on our lives and those for whom we care.

Professor Malone is the Director, Key Executive Leadership Programs at American University. He is a frequent guest lecturer on kindness, gratitude, emotional intelligence, compassion, ethics, mindfulness, and leadership at various organizations, professional associations, and universities including the Fulbright Scholars Program. His research and teaching interests include human motivation, kindness, leadership, ethics, and organizational behavior. Dr. Malone is a retired Navy Captain. While in the Navy, he served in a number of leadership and policy roles including as a professor of biometrics and preventive medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Academic Director; and Dean of Academics for Navy Medicine. His most recent publications include: “The Way Leaders Think,” “The Trusting Leader,” “Selfies in the Workplace,” “Kindness and Survival of the Fittest,” “Go Ahead, Laugh – Why Humor Makes for a Better Workplace,” and “VulnerABILITY - Can Managers Benefit from Extreme Exposure?” His TED Talk, “Thinking about Time,” is available at http://tedxtalks.ted.com and his co-edited book, The Handbook of Federal Leadership and Administration, was published in November 2016. His co-authored book Leading with Love and Laughter was released in Spring 2021. His new book Emotional Intelligence for Talent Development was released in October 2021.

No registration is required. The Zoom link will be e-mailed to all those subscribed to the OLLI newsletter the morning of the talk. If you do not receive the newsletter and would like to attend, please join the email list at https://www.olli-dc.org/join_email_list.