The case for CEOs who can laugh at themselves

In today’s CEO Daily: An onstage incident turns into a leadership lesson.

The big leadership story: Supermicro finally gets a new CFO.

The markets: Stocks recover from a shaky week.

Plus: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune .

Good morning.

A few minutes into talking with Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi on stage this week at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, I felt blood in my mouth.

I knew what was coming as an injury to my lip had bled a few days earlier, unleashing a flood that reminded me of an old Saturday Night Live episode in which Julia Child (played by Dan Aykroyd) cuts herself while preparing a chicken.

I tried to act nonchalant as a fistful of tissues turned red, and Advaithi paused a few times to ask if I was okay.

My colleague Ellie Austin and members of the audience sprang into action, handing me fresh tissues and lip balm.

Advaithi’s eyes conveyed concern as she answered my questions about data centers and geopolitics.

I cracked a few jokes, called it our Halloween special, and gave Fidelity a shout-out for having the foresight to give away branded lip balm to participants.

If you can’t hide it, ride it! The incident was unfortunate, and a bit embarrassing, but it also gave Advaithi and me an opportunity to talk about being vulnerable and her decision to speak publicly about battling breast cancer as a CEO.

The mood in the room was warm and supportive, and our interview had more moments of levity than I’d anticipated when we first sat down.

A graceful recovery: Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi (right) talks with Fortune’s Diane Brady at the Most Powerful Women Summit.