Gratitude + Openness + Curiosity = Happiness

New research by Todd Kashdan, associate professor of psychology at George Mason University, provides much to think about for improving your effectiveness and that of your organization. He points to gratitude as the key for happiness and further suggests that men are more challenged in feeling and expressing that gratitude. Kashdan says, "“The way that we get socialized as children affects what we do with our emotions as adults." It also affects how we interact and how we use creativity as a problem-solving tool.

For some, as we get older and more socialized, it becomes more and more challenging to spark curiosity and openly share ideas. Thus, the more we can do as organizational leaders to create safe spaces for people to rediscover those abilities, the more effective our organizations can become. The more celebration we are able to infuse into our environments, the higher the morale and the better our organization's productivity. And, the more we can do to achieve consistency in those actions, the better received they will be.