The Positive Leadership certificate course at George Mason University, hosted by George Mason’s Learning Solutions unit, expanded its enrollment this fall to accommodate 40 working professionals interested in learning how to bring mindfulness and a positive outlook to their workplaces.
While employees are busier than ever in often-frantic efforts to maximize productivity while minimizing costs, employee well-being and career satisfaction have been sacrificed, say the originators of the program.
“Everyone’s well-being is suffering,” said Beth Cabrera, a senior scholar at Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. “The workplace is becoming more demanding—we’re expected to be available 24/7—and there is not a lot of support.”
“People are so stressed out with all the work they’re trying to do, they’re looking for islands of happiness,” said Steve Gladis, who earned a master’s degree and PhD at Mason. “They’re looking for how to get a grip and enjoy life.”
Cabrera, an organizational psychologist whose new book is called “Beyond Happy: Women, Work, and Well-Being,” and Gladis, with 23 years as a Mason adjunct professor, bring an academic mindset to a subject that deserves scholarly study. During their course they support contemporary theories on how leadership can improve morale, engagement and productivity with statistical evidence and peer-reviewed studies.
“The tone you set at the top is what influences what’s going to employees. Emotions are contagious, and they are more contagious from someone of a higher status,” Cabrera said.
“If a leader doesn’t have a positive attitude, nobody below him or her is going to have it,” Gladis added.
The class participants represent a wide range of corporate executives and business leaders who say they not only want to improve their own leadership qualities but to also teach them at their workplaces.
“What I hope to get from the course is more clarity as a leader, to be able to focus and really listen to my staff and keep it on a high note,” said Kate Fulkerson, CEO of the Reston Association, a regional homeowners association. “This is helping me look at everything that’s going right. Being positive motivates people.”
After the first session, Fulkerson called a senior leadership meeting and began using one of the positive leadership techniques passed on by Gladis.
“I had everyone tell me two things that were going well right now, and everyone fed off the other’s positive outlook. It was helpful,” she said.
“I’m not a natural ‘OK, let’s go take the mountain’ guy,” said Mike Jennings, owner of an Internet technology services company. “But I’ve learned [that] to be a leader you have to be positive, you have to have a good vibe so people pick up on it. I don’t have it naturally so I need to bring whatever that is out of myself so people can be encouraged and have their own good vibes.”
Jennings also has begun using techniques learned in class after one session.
“I’ve been writing down three things at night I’m grateful for,” he said. “It’s really helped me feel good about how things are going.”
Cabrera is not surprised students are employing their methods so soon after learning them. In fact, it’s gratifying.
“It’s exciting to hear that, because everyone in this class is going to impact lots and lots of people,” she said.