Time & Perspective Quote by Allen Klein

Power, Klein is implying, isn’t just enforced; it’s performed. By invoking “throughout history” and “great leaders,” he borrows the aura of Lincoln’s anecdotes, Churchill’s barbs, and FDR’s fireside ease to smuggle in a business-friendly lesson: humor isn’t fluff, it’s leverage. Coming from a businessman rather than a court jester or philosopher, the line reads less like a celebration of comedy and more like a strategy memo with a wink.

The phrasing does quiet ideological work. “Known the power” suggests humor operates like a tool you can wield on demand, not a temperament or a moral stance. It’s a reminder that people follow narratives, not spreadsheets; laughter is a shortcut to trust, attention, and forgiveness. A well-timed joke can puncture tension in a room, reset a negotiation, or soften an unpopular decision. It can also do something more consequential: reassert hierarchy without sounding authoritarian. The boss who jokes controls the emotional thermostat.

There’s a double edge here. Humor can signal humility and humanize leadership, but it can just as easily distract, deflect, or diminish critics. In modern corporate culture, where “culture” is often treated as an asset class, Klein’s sentiment anticipates the rise of the charismatic CEO and the leadership-book gospel that emotional intelligence beats raw expertise. The subtext is simple: if you want influence, learn timing. Make people laugh, and you make them listen.