The Joy of Leadership

Think of the last time you were at your best and working in the zone. Now compare that to all the time you’ve spent just going through the motions. How would you quantify the difference between the two in terms of how you felt and what you produced? Would you rate it as a 5% difference. . . a 50% difference? Most people would describe the gulf between those two states of being as vast—as deep and wide as the Grand Canyon. For quality of experience, engagement, productivity, and just the sheer joy of living, the majority of people asked to rate the difference between flourishing and floundering found it to be around a factor of 10.

In their work with managers and executives at leading companies around the world, authors Tal Ben-Shahar and Angus Ridgway have identified a select group of individuals who consistently perform at their peak, and who make work seem effortless and working with them feel easy. The name they’ve given to those lucky few is “10X Leaders”. You know who they are. They’re the team leaders who bring out the best in everyone. They’re the senior managers who drive growth and innovation. They’re the dream bosses, dream partners, and dream colleagues. There’s a good chance you’ve encountered at least one 10X leader in your career—you’re probably thinking of one right now. And you wondered how they did it.

Dr. Ben-Shahar and Mr. Ridgway believe they know the answer. They have identified the core characteristics, behaviors, and cognitive styles that all 10X leaders share. Even better, they’ve developed a way for virtually anyone to cultivate those traits and ways of thinking in themselves to become happier, more effective, and more successful.

In this powerful new book they describe their revolutionary SHARP (Strength, Health, Absorption, Relationships, and Purpose) program for becoming a 10X leader. They tell you the true stories of people at organizations around the globe who’ve become more effective by learning to use these performance multipliers. And they offer proven strategies for mastering those characteristics and habits for lasting change—the kind of change that can bring you greater fulfilment and success, not just at work, but in every area of your life.

Tal Ben-Shahar (www.potentialife.com; Israel) is a speaker and author of the international best sellers Happier and Being Happy. He taught two of the largest classes in Harvard University’s history, Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership.  Today, Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, the general public, and at-risk populations.  The topics he lectures on include leadership, happiness, education, innovation, ethics, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages, and have appeared on best-sellers lists around the world. He obtained his PhD in Organizational Behavior and BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Harvard . He is Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer at Potentiallife, a leadership development organization.

Angus Ridgway (London, UK) is Co-Founder and CEO of Potentiallife. Previously he was with McKinsey, and led the Strategy Practice in Europe, Middle East and Africa, overseeing the work of over 1,000 colleagues. In addition, for over 10 years he led Leadership Development functions at McKinsey, most recently for the global group of 1,500 Partners. His interest in leadership came from his astonishment at the diversity of leadership profiles he saw in his clients over the years.

Acknowledgments ix

Part I The Disaggregated World 1

Chapter 1 The 10X Effect: Performance Multipliers to Achieve Lasting Success and Fulfillment 3

Chapter 2 Giving Way to the New: The Boundaryless Twenty-First-Century Work Environment 15

Chapter 3 Myths of Happiness and Leadership: Making the Case for SHARP 29

Part II What 10x Leaders Do 41

Chapter 4 Strengths: Making the Most of Your Gifts 43

Chapter 5 Health: Injecting Energy into Life and Work 67

Chapter 6 Absorption: Revealing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary through Mindful Engagement 87

Chapter 7 Relationships: Forming Authentic and Positive Bonds 107

Chapter 8 Purpose: Meaning and Commitment are the Path to Joyful Leadership 129

Chapter 9 The Balanced Approach: SHARP and Cascading Success 149

Part III How to Change—And Stay Changed 159

Chapter 10 Obstacles—and Pathways—to Lasting Behavioral Change: Neuroplasticity and the Possibility of Joyful Transformation 161

Chapter 11 Creating New, Durable Pathways to Joyful Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Making SHARP Changes 177

Chapter 12 Finale: The 10X Effect Revisited and Becoming the Sum Total of Who You are 191

Notes 197

Index 215

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.