The Power of Humour in Business

A note to young leaders.

Early on in my career at Macquarie Group, a colleague, Mark – known for his larrikin sense of humour – badly stained his suit trousers by spilling his morning cup of coffee. As Mark had a very important meeting in a couple of hours, he had no choice but to take off his pants and dispatch it to the dry cleaners.

Reduced to his boxers, Mark sheepishly returned to his desk and covered his legs with a towel.

Word of the incident reached John Caldon, then Deputy MD of Macquarie, whose office was located on the floor above. John immediately called my hapless colleague and said in a very grave voice: “Oh Mark, can you please come to my office, there’s something urgent I need to discuss.” Mark hardly had a chance to respond before John hung up.

Left with no choice, Mark made the journey to John’s office in his boxers – only to find a legion of colleagues waiting for him there with John bent-double on his knees with laughter. John gave Mark a small pot plant and suggested he walk around with it to protect his modesty. It was all good natured and fun, and Mark – who gave as much as he got – enjoyed the roast.

Business success is often a journey measured in decades – don’t forget to relax and have fun along the way.