Happy holidays from all of us here at the Lincoln Leadership Institute! Gettysburg is looking very festive these days—especially when it’s iced with our first snowfalls of the year.
The holiday season is truly one of joy. In fact, this idea of “what is joy,” has been on my mind lately—not only as we get ready to celebrate the holidays, but also as it correlates to the workplace.
What does joy have to do with the workplace—especially this year, when so many organizations have struggled with our challenging economy? According to a recent Gallup Healthways survey of 100,000 Americans, joy has everything to do with happiness in the workplace for business owners out-rank 10 other occupations in overall wellbeing. Leaders, in fact, say they have lower stress levels and better physical health than those in other occupations.
One possible explanation, according to Harvard professor and blogger Rosabeth Moss Kanter, is that “autonomy, influence and a sense of meaning” are all key ingredients in helping us to find joy at work. She writes “supervisors are better–off than the supervised, and entrepreneurs are the best-off of all.” While we can’t all be entrepreneurs, she suggests we can all act as leaders and project “autonomy, influence and a sense of meaning.”
I couldn’t agree more! I’m a big believer in the idea that exhibiting leadership skills is the surest route to joy at work. What a concept: Leadership can bring joy to the workplace.
Kanter offers a David Letterman style Top 10 list to find joy at work. Why not give it a try? Incorporate joy into your leadership practice. I’d love to hear the results – drop us a line at info@lincolnleadershipinstitue.com and let us know how you have shared the joy!
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!
Steven B. Wiley, president and founder
Lincoln Leadership Institute