Research from the field of Positive Psychology has shown that the development of psychological well-being is dependent on having an overall “sense of purpose” that gives direction and meaning to people’s actions. There is also strong evidence to suggest that positive emotional experiences have a beneficial impact on the growth of psychological well-being, (e.g. Fredrickson, 1998; Fredrickson and Joiner, 2002; Seligman et al., 2005).
The Management guru Max De Pree said “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality…”
A sense of purpose and well-being at work does not magically appear in employees when well-being policies are implemented. It is largely achieved through world-class leadership on the part of leaders that understand the kind of environment that they create for the workforce to operate within.
In many organisations, it’s all too easy for leaders to become disconnected from those who are tasked with delivering their vision on the front line. As the above quote by Max De Pree suggests, leaders have a direct impact and influence on what it feels like to work in an organisation. When staff feel good about being at work – when they are engaged, energised, motivated and have strong sense of well-being – they produce sustainable levels of high performance.
By re-connecting leaders with the workforce and helping them to understand and manage their impact, it’s possible to tap a reservoir of discretionary effort and energy in employees that can deliver these bottom-line benefits.
Robertson Cooper offers a suite of leadership tools, including the revolutionary Leadership Impact tool, that are integrated with the ASSET approach to improve individual and organisational performance.