Positively Productive

I wonder how many leaders embrace the theory that if they become successful they will be happy? The upstart executive longing for a six-figure salary and a corner office will likely discover that achieving their goal may also redefine what success looks and feels like. The happiness they associate with being successful will elude them because now the corner office looks small compared to the penthouse...and on it goes. When leaders connect happiness with success it will always seem short-lived.

A better approach is suggested by author, Shawn Anchor, in a recent Harvard Business Review article where he postulates that “people who cultivate a positive mind-set perform better in the face of challenge,” what he calls the “happiness advantage.” While one’s genetics and environment also influence how happy we are, it turns out we can manage our happiness and thus our chance for success.

I have experienced this in an unscientific way during the past year by consciously choosing to approach my work and the current challenging business environment with a positive and upbeat attitude. The results have been remarkable as the quality of my business leads, the number of new contracts, and my overall business results have been steadily increasing. I find myself worrying less about an uncertain future and focusing more on controlling how I am viewing today’s opportunities. This past week I reconnected with a past client at a business event and discovered he had adopted my same approach with similar results.

It isn’t easy to rewire a brain that has been trained to equate happiness with success, but it can be done. Exercising regularly, making lists of things we are grateful for, and sharing positive feedback with others can all affect our personal sense of well-being. So can helping others, a daily practice I try to embed into my workplace activities. Sometimes this is as simple as taking a client to lunch or assisting a colleague with a project. I have even observed how behavior changes when you make eye contact, smile, or say hello.

Anchor’s research strongly suggests that increasing one’s happiness improves one’s chances of success. If leaders would begin to practice and teach others some of the simple positive approaches I just shared it’s possible that workplaces could become more productive. Yoda, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, was fond of saying, “Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.” Sound advice for leaders looking to develop a positive outlook for 2012. Now, where’s that light saber?