The Best Ways Leaders Promote Happiness

Part of any leader’s job is caring about their people and working to instill in them a sense of happiness, motivation, and pride in what they do and who they are. Many leaders neglect this important element of their role, but it’s too important to leave it up to chance.

There are lots of ways you can promote good feelings among your employees. Here are a few ways to get started:

Put people in charge of their own destiny. Successful leaders know that giving people more ownership over their day-to-day schedule, tasks and professional development is essential to building a workforce that’s happier, more engaged and more productive. They’re constantly looking for opportunities to help their people learn and grow, and they make sure to provide support where it’s needed.

Provide a clear roadmap. When you let people know where the company is going and the reasons behind its direction and pace, you’re giving them an opportunity to buy into the vision. And once that happens, they can find their role and purpose within that vision. People are happier and more motivated when they see themselves as part of something bigger than a paycheck.

Spread lots of positive reinforcement. It’s a simple common-sense principle that recognizing and appreciating people makes them feel valued. Positive reinforcement at work can happen in lots of ways: treating others with dignity and respect, extending empathy and compassion, practicing gratitude. Whatever form it takes, it makes people feel good about their environment ane themselves.

Let people know they’re not alone. Successful leaders build strong teams and encourage people to rely on one another. Their mantras are “We’re all in this together” and “Together we can do anything.” They know that engaging with others helps people feel energized and a sense of connection builds happiness—and employees who are happy and energized are productive and effective in everything they do.

Give people a reason to be proud. Employees who are proud of their organization are three times more likely to be happy at work. This kind of pride goes beyond satisfaction with individual or team output—it extends to the entire organization, its values, and everything it stands for. It’s what people mean when they say that cultural fit is an important part of their satisfaction at work.

It’s unsurprising that happy employees turn out to be more engaged, more committed and more driven at work, and they’re more willing to make contributions that go beyond the workday and their job description. So if you want to be a successful leader, make sure you’re taking the time each day to check in with your employees’ happiness. It makes a big difference—for them and for you.

Lead from within: Research shows the when leaders take the time to foster their people’s happiness and well-being, they find it’s well worth the investment and effort because the payoffs are tremendous.

#1 N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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