Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy both used self-deprecating humor, which Laurence Stybel and Maryanne Peabody, the co-founders of Stybel Peabody Associates, Inc., say can increase likeability and create an emotional bond. However, they warn that someone not in a high position of power should be cautious with such humor because it can backfire and make them less likable.

Put it into practice: If you choose to use self-deprecating humor, Stybel and Peabody offer some recommended phrases, such as "I may be wrong about this. If I am wrong, it wouldn't be the first time." A classic example from President Lincoln was after he was accused of being "two-faced" on policy, he replied, "If I had two faces, would I show the world this one?"

Managers may prefer in-office employees simply due to a lack of training on managing hybrid workforces, writes Gleb Tsipursky, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, who notes that only 10% of managers received mandatory training for hybrid work environments. "When managers are equipped with the right tools and training to lead hybrid teams, employees benefit from a more structured and supportive work environment," Tsipursky writes.

Put it into practice: Setting clear expectations for hybrid employees and establishing a formal framework for hybrid work leads to happier employees. "Employees on teams with a well-defined hybrid collaboration plan are 2.2 times more likely to report that their organization's hybrid policy has a highly positive impact on team collaboration," Tsipursky writes.

Trying to discuss politics with co-workers can be like "walking a tightrope in heels," says Christina Frantom, internal communications lead at Mercedes-Benz US International. Frantom recommends creating policies around a respectful workplace, focusing on positivity, preparing for conflict with pre-approved language to defuse situations and drawing a hard line "with any kind of inflammatory, aggressive or threatening behavior."

Put it into practice: Organizations should focus on moderating political discussions and listening to employees. Although it can be a balancing act, "there are ways to do it that everyone can get involved in where everyone wins," Frantom says.

Aman Bhutani, the CEO of GoDaddy, says he uses the Japanese "Shokunin" method to get better every day, seeing himself as his competition and staying hungry to overcome obstacles. "Discipline is about the aggregation of small gains, about being critical, evaluating yourself, and having a test to know that you were better," Bhutani says.

Crossword puzzle editors rely on common words such as ERA or OHIO for short answers, grammar-based hints such as using past tense or plural and wordplay for clues such as "Cabinetmaker?" which is, of course, "president," writes Michele Debczak. Other tips for conquering crosswords include solving words that cross one another to fill in enough letters to make a guess and starting anywhere in the puzzle to get as many words as you can before digging in to one-across.

Say hello to Lola, a two-year-old Golden Retriever, whose owner, Bill W., assures us is The Best Dog Ever! Bill says that besides playing with other dogs, Lola's favorite thing to do is hanging out on the lake, which is where she spent Labor Day weekend with her human companions. Lucky Lola!

What non-human companions keep you company as you work or greet you when you come home from the office? Send me their photos, and we'll share them with SmartBrief on Leadership readers!

Politics can be a hot button anywhere you go, but especially among colleagues if you're spending eight hours a day around each other in the office. Inevitably, someone will bring up a political topic. How you handle it as a leader can lead to understanding or chaos.

Christina Frantom's advice involves doing much of the work before any conversation starts, such as setting policies around respect, creating templates with language managers can use to deescalate any heated conversations and reminding your teams that their mission while at work is to focus on what's good for the business and leave other discussions for after work.

The other point Frantom makes is important, too: Give your team the time they need to vote when election day rolls around. Go light on meetings that day or offer flexible hours to make sure everyone has a chance to make their voice heard.

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