by Kevin L. Baker, MBA
After having a job I loved for 7 years and expressing that love often to people, a new CEO came and passion dried up. The new CEO brought in a consultant who became a board member. As board member, he created enmity between owners and senior management via his emphasis on the owner’s operating with an outdated command and control style.
Senior management over years had built a hands-on culture that was open, collaborative, diverse, people centered, and sharing. In a period of 12 months, all the senior and middle management quit because we no longer could express love for what we did and became unhappy.
When you wake up and loathe having to go to your job, that means you do not love what you do. That is the formula for misery. When we are unhappy at work, we often go home miserable to our family.
The Secret Sauce of Happiness: We Create It!
Gary Van Warmerdam of Pathway to Happiness says, “There is one step to creating happiness. It is to express love. When you express the emotion of love you create happiness and joy within yourself. Happiness is not just a state of mind. Happiness is also a state of emotion.”
The roadblocks to happiness must be addressed. If you do not enjoy what you do in life or work, or the people you are doing it with, change must occur.
I loved my last job for seven years. There was a social mission larger than the bottom line we were all working toward. There was a sense of unity under the former CEO. When the new CEO came everything changed over three years. While he spoke about caring about people and wanting the organization to grow, his actions did not agree with what he said.
Eventually, people saw through him. His model was driven by building his power. It was political. While he talked the talk of a culture that was open, people-centric, and sharing, his actions said pride, politics, manipulation, build his power-base, and drive out dissent. Disengagement and departure of every senior and middle manager followed over the next 12 months.
As a result of a change in which family member was CEO, and my need to love what I do, I chose to leave. I did not fit into the command and control organization he was envisioning. My values did not align anymore. We create our own happiness by expressing love. If we do not love what we are doing, we need to make changes so we can love again!
Maybe you face a similar situation. Change happens. Rather than becoming bitter, we become better versions of ourselves by seeking an organization where we can fit better and make a positive contribution.
In Conclusion
Happiness is an elusive ideal for some, and lost treasure for others. Become the best version of you by expressing love for the people, activities, and things you enjoy most. You will create positive emotions that result in happiness! Love yourself. Love your family. Love your job. Happiness will follow.