I’m often asked:

“How do I be more funny when I speak?”
Or, “How important is humor in public speaking?”

The short answer?
Humor is important.

But not for the reasons most people think.

Humor is powerful when it’s aligned with who you are and the impact you want to have. Sometimes humor builds connection. Sometimes it softens the room so you can take your audience somewhere deeper. Sometimes it releases tension. Sometimes it opens hearts.

But here’s where things go sideways.

Sometimes we try to be funny because we think we should.

Because someone told us audiences expect it.
Because we’ve heard that “great speakers are funny.”
Because we feel pressure to entertain.

And the moment humor becomes a “should,” it becomes a mask.

When you try to be funny from obligation rather than alignment, you dilute your presence. You start performing instead of leading. You trade resonance for approval.

Let’s take a bold example.

Imagine Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Now imagine someone had advised him beforehand:
“You should be more funny.”

What would that have done to the power of that moment?

That speech is one of the greatest in history — not because it was humorous, but because it was aligned. It was clear. It was embodied. It was in service of something larger than the speaker’s likability.

Humor was not the vehicle for that message.

And that’s the point.

The real question isn’t:

“How do I become more funny?”

The real question is:

“What impact do I want to have?”

If humor serves that impact — use it.
If humor distracts from that impact — release it.

There are speakers who are naturally witty. For them, humor is an extension of authenticity. There are speakers who are fierce, reverent, tender, contemplative, prophetic. For them, forced humor would fracture the integrity of the message.

Your job is not to be funny.

Your job is to be aligned.

When you’re aligned — whether you’re playful, serious, fiery, or gentle — the audience feels it. And that feeling is far more powerful than a punchline.

If you want to increase your impact as a speaker, stop asking how to be funnier.

Start asking:

How can I best serve?
What does the room need?
What supports the message?

That’s when speaking becomes leadership. 

With love & passion,
Lauri