What Leading with Optimism Really Looks Like

Even in the face of dire circumstances, you can create a positive mindset at your company — one that will help your people and your customers. The authors conducted a multi-year research project at a hospital system in Iowa that demonstrated the effects of encouraging positivity, happiness, and gratitude among staff and leaders. The results included an increase in optimism and engagement and a decrease in burnout. But it wasn’t just staff who benefited — patients did too. Plus the health center where the interventions took place had impressive financial results as well. The authors share four tips for companies that want to make happiness a hallmark of their organizational culture: role model from the top, help employees connect before asking them to change, make changes part of the routine way of doing work, and track outcomes.