Self-deprecating humor works best when it’s light and relatable, showing vulnerability without undermining your message, just a little reminder that even leaders have their quirks. It helps humanize you, not weaken your authority.

Using self deprecating humour is a great way to grab the audiences attention and make you relatable to the audience. However humour is a double edged sword and too much of it may backfire on you. Begin by knowing your audience and understand their demographics and the humour that will connect with them. Know when to incorporate humour and don't crack jokes just for the sake of it. Self deprecating humour humanizes you but don't allow yourself to crack a joke at yourself where you undermine your ability. Keep it relatable. Also too many jokes can make you come across as someone who is not serious - don't go overboard where you risk losing your credibility. Lastly make sure the humour you use is inclusive & non offensive to the audience.

1. Be Strategic: Use self-deprecating humor sparingly and only about minor, relatable flaws or harmless quirks. 2. Keep It Relevant: Tie the humor to your topic or audience for a natural connection. 3. Show Growth: Use humor to highlight how you’ve overcome challenges, reinforcing your credibility.

It is simple really: give yourself permission to tell on yourself! And then walk with that vulnerability to a place of courage. Creates a common ground effect that will resonate throughout your presentation. Courage is contagious! I have found that it lends itself to give others the opportunity to walk with their own vulnerability usually in front of complete strangers. Many of our experiences are the same. Shared experiences build trust!

Ha! If you are worried about diminishing your authority, any attempt at self-depreciating humour will come off as a contrived. Well, that’s not quite true. The point of self-depreciating humour *is* to lower your status, so that you can relate horizontally. Study Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre (a book by Keith Johnstone). Also: Adlerian psychology. A nuance here: you ought never strive to diminish yourself, or others. Authority is also relational and contextual. But if everyone is putting you on a pedestal, it makes sense to depreciate yourself in their eyes, with humour, so that we’re all in this together. But what would I know, lol. I’m just a wizard answering AI generated questions on the weekend wtf lol. 😅

Using self-deprecating humor in a speech can humanize you and build rapport with your audience, but it’s important to do so without undermining your authority. Keep the humor light, positive, and relevant to the topic, avoiding anything that could make you appear unqualified or insecure. For example, sharing a small, relatable mistake or humorous observation can create connection, but always tie it back to a larger lesson or insight. Ensure that your overall tone remains confident and professional, so the humor enhances your credibility rather than detracting from it.

Focus on quirks, not flaws 🤓🎤: Highlight harmless traits or past mistakes with lessons learned. Keep it light and brief 🎯✨: A quick joke adds charm but ensures the focus stays on your expertise. End on a positive note 🚀💪: Reinforce your credibility with a takeaway that underscores your competence. Know your audience 👥📖: Tailor your humor to resonate without undermining your message. Balance is key ⚖️😄: Use humor sparingly to support, not overshadow, your speech.

I’ve enjoyed humor that is honest and adds to the story line of a truth that you as a speaker are wanting to make. For me humor has come from situations where I made assumptions or had a misunderstanding of situations that I had not anticipated. It also could be humor from someone else’s circumstance that does not involve a name and is not degrading. I still recall a speaker at a convention I attended who used for humor the incident of his wife trying to back their car out of the garage. It was funny for most of the audience but I really hurt for his wife. I have avoided using my wife or my children’s circumstances as a point of humor in a message. If it’s about me and it honestly adds to the point of the message, it’s my call.