Happiness matters.

While it might sometimes be dismissed as a ‘fluffy’ concept that has little to do with productivity and success, happiness is actually an important factor in leadership. Your own happiness and the happiness of your team can have a direct impact on your success.

So what, exactly, does happiness have to do with leadership?

1.      Happy people are productive people

We all know that happy people tend to be more pleasant to be around than their more downcast counterparts. But did you know that happier people may also be more productive?

A study by Warwick University found that watching a happy film clip increased productivity. The people shown a positive film clip before completing workplace tasks were 11% more productive than people who were shown a neutral film clip.

Happy people are also more creative, according to Professor Theresa Amabile:

“There seems to be a cognitive process that gets set up when people are feeling good that leads to more flexible, fluent, and original thinking, and there’s actually a carryover, an incubation effect, to the next day.”

2.      Companies with happy employees are more profitable

Another study by Wharton Business School showed that companies with high levels of employee happiness tended to consistently outperform the stock market.

Further research has shown that higher employee engagement correlated with 22% higher profitability.

3.      Happy people are healthier

Happiness can actually make you healthier. For the workforce that means fewer sick days and more productive work.

This review of over 160 studies showed that there is a link between happiness and better health and longer lives. Happy people are 50% less likely to catch a cold virus or suffer a cardiovascular illness.

If that’s not a reason to smile, I don’t know what is!

4.      Happy leaders have a better leadership style

An analysis of 25 different studies showed that positivity was a key factor in successful leadership.

One of the findings was that happy people tend to demonstrate a transformational leadership style. Transformational leadership was first introduced as a concept by James McGregor Burns in his 1978 book, Leadership.

Transformational leaders inspire and encourage others. They excel at motivating their teams and make great mentors. They have a great sense of fairness, and while they have high expectations, they provide support and recognition for achieving those expectations.

5.      Happiness starts with you.

Happiness is contagious. It’s hard to be around a consistently positive person and not feel more uplifted. #happiness Share on X

When you as a leader are happy, it has a positive impact on your teams.

Happiness is a state; and it’s not long lasting. One moment you might rate your happiness as high on a scale of 1-10; the next you might rate it as low.

So how can you be a happier leader?

One thing I’ve found with my executive coaching clients is that understanding your personal values and strengths can help you discover what energises you and makes you feel happy.  Other techniques that can help you feel happier are:

• Regular self-reflection
• Meditation
• Journaling
• Practising gratitude
• Making time for self-care

Your happiness starts with you, but there are lots of ways an executive coach can help you improve your happiness levels.

Are you ready to take charge of your happiness and start feeling the confidence, focus, and energy that’s been lacking for you at work? 

I appreciate your time and engagement in reading this post. As you’ll know, I’m on a mission to empower individuals like you to thrive in your personal and leadership journey. My work is fuelled by your support, so if you found this blog post valuable and would like to support my efforts in creating more content like this, consider buying me a coffee – every cup counts!