A Leader’s ‘Responsibility’ to Be Happy
Three takeaways:
This article highlights Harvard professor and happiness writer Arthur C. Brooks’s argument—made in a recent talk that can be viewed HERE—that a workplace leader’s personal happiness & attitude directly informs employee well-being and, ultimately, company performance.
Brooks argues that “leaders who know how to prioritize their happiness will learn it is a ‘really, really is a good investment.’” He explores reasons why many CEOs struggle to overcome the stressors of their demanding roles, and presents some compelling data to support his claims:
The Business Case for Happiness at Work: Brooks cites workplace happiness/performance data from 7,500 publicly traded companies, showing a strong correlation between employee happiness and that company’s stock performance—with companies in the top tier of workplace well-being outperforming major indexes.
Additional research from Oxford University reinforces the argument that happiness is not a “soft” benefit but a high-ROI business strategy.
What Workers Want: Brooks argues that perks like ping pong tables or beanbag chairs in the office miss the mark—that employees want to work for an employer/leader who is engaged, passionate, and attentive. These qualities are all associated with personal happiness.
Psychologists cite a phenomenon called “emotional contagion,” meaning that an employee’s satisfaction and engagement are directly shaped by a leader’s well-being.
Brooks notes that at the end of the day, employees want four specific things: genuine friendships at work, feeling empowered and a sense of growth at their jobs, management that listens to their suggestions, and efficiency (not having their time wasted in unnecessary meetings).
The Leadership Trap: Roughly half of CEOs report feelings of isolation, with 70% of first-time executives saying loneliness negatively affects their performance. Brooks argues that this should be common knowledge among leaders who want to improve.
While the pressures of being a workplace leader are clear, the imperative to be intentional about one’s own personal happiness is just as clear. Brooks takes it a step further: if you’re in any position of leadership, you have an ethical responsibility to be working on your happiness because it’s your gift to the people over whom you’re a steward.
By Dave Smith for Fortune
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