3 Things Joyful Leaders Do Differently

5 minute read

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last responsibility of a leader is to say “thank you”. In between those two times, leadership means setting your team up for success, serving others, and bringing joy to the work at hand.

“Joy?” you say. Yes, Joy! Joy stems from believing one’s work has purpose and is truly meaningful. This is not just a “nice to do” task but an essential part of a leader’s job.

Joyful leaders appreciate and congratulate.

When the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu talked about their mission to bring joy, they said that we “don’t need to manufacture joy – its already within us”. We just need to make room for it to show.

In a business setting, choosing who and how to appreciate can be tremendously powerful and a simple habit for a leader that creates moments of joy. To do this you will need to take 15 minutes and simply write down the names of each of your team members. Read each name in turn and think of something they have done really well or something about their character that has been really helpful this week.

It needs to be sincere and based on real observations and impact. When it’s done well it can lift a team spirit immeasurably. Some people like a public message or award, some a personal note or card that simply appreciates them. Whatever you do, do it regularly and sincerely. It improves well-being, productivity, and deepens trust.

Sometimes we are asked “What happens when there is nothing to celebrate?” The brutal answer is that it probably says more about your focus than what is really happening around you.

Some of us find this hard. Maybe you think things could be done better, quicker, or that the team should go further (all of which might be true), but that doesn't mean that what you have now is inadequate. It simply means that there are possibilities for growth and the best growth – growth that lasts – starts with a realistic appraisal of everything that is working, impactful and good.

Joyful leaders foster relationship inside and outside of task.

Building effective relationships across a business is a pivotal task for a leader. There is nothing wrong with focusing on relationships that arise out of the function of your team or group, but that will only give you one part of the picture.

Leaders who want to impact the whole business (we call them Enterprise Leaders [link to other article opens in new tab]) take joy in building relationships with people across the business regardless of whether those people make a direct contribution to the success of your team or group. In other words, they are an asset to you, even if they don’t contribute towards your success.

At FiveAndCo. we think every relationship can be an asset to you in your leadership. They can be a source of inspiration, diverse thinking, and challenge. Practically we have recommended senior leaders bring peers into their team problem solving conversations from different parts of the business. Time and again we have seen a transformation in the quality of the problem-solving conversations their teams can have.

For you personally, your story of success is far richer when it reflects a knowledge of the whole business and “what we do around here”. The joy of relationships is not just growing a following, but a deeper appreciation of how all the other teams work together to add value to the business and the people it serves.

Joyful leaders start with the strengths.

No one is perfect. We know that performance and influence are important conversations to have with your team, but time and again we also hear that employees aren’t clear where they are adding value or even what their priority for growth should be. So, what’s going wrong?

 When you start with what’s wrong you end up in remedial conversations – ‘the fix becomes the focus’ rather than the potential of the person.

When we talk about focusing on strength and effort, what we mean is starting your conversation with the person in front of you. Tell them what you see is working and where you already see them applying themselves in a helpful way to the challenges of the business.

A strengths-based approach is routed in good psychology too. It’s based on the idea that you are the agent for change – not someone else or something else. It allows a person to see themselves at their best – the value they bring just by being themselves. They are encouraged to capitalize on their strengths rather than focus on negative characteristics. A strength-based approach also takes into account the individual's context - how systems are set up or any power imbalances they are confronting. In short, starting with strengths creates personal agency and accountability.

There is always room to talk about what might be holding back an individual’s growth - social skills, personal approaches to collaboration, or a skills deficit – but if you are looking for effective people who find joy in their work, start with their strengths and the efforts they are making already.

The joy of leadership comes from seeing others achieve more than they (or anyone else) thought they were capable of. It comes from reminding yourself daily that more of what you do is good than bad. Ultimately, a joyful leader is able to help others find joy in their work, and that is no small thing.

In fact, in the intense competition for talent and market share, being a joyful leader might just be your competitive edge.

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