The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work Hardcover – September 14, 2010

"The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life" by Shawn Achor is a compelling book that turns traditional thinking about happiness and success on its head. Based on positive psychology principles and research, Achor proposes that happiness is not just a result of success but a precursor to it. Here’s a summary of key concepts and insights from the book, which I find particularly relevant and insightful:- Positive Psychology at Work: Achor, who spent over a decade at Harvard University studying happiness, draws on his own research and that of others in the field of positive psychology to argue that a positive mindset can significantly increase motivation, efficiency, resilience, creativity, and, ultimately, success in the workplace.- The Happiness Advantage: The core idea of the book is that individuals who cultivate a positive mindset experience a 'happiness advantage'. This advantage manifests as enhanced brain function, which in turn leads to better problem-solving abilities, creativity, and job performance. Achor presents seven principles that individuals can use to improve their happiness and success rates.- Seven Principles: These principles include the power of positive psychology, the fulcrum and the lever (changing your experience of reality through mindset), the Tetris Effect (training your brain to spot patterns of possibility), falling up (finding the path out of failure), the Zorro Circle (focusing on small, manageable goals to gain control over the bigger picture), the 20-second rule (reducing barriers to change with small energy adjustments), and social investment (relying on social support to overcome challenges).- Evidence-Based Strategies: Achor provides practical, evidence-based strategies for increasing happiness and productivity. These include gratitude exercises, the practice of positive journaling, exercise, meditation, and fostering social connections.- Applications in the Workplace: The book also delves into how organizations can apply these principles to create happier and more productive work environments. Achor discusses how positive leadership and a culture that prioritizes happiness can lead to significant improvements in job satisfaction, engagement, and performance.From a professional standpoint, especially for someone with a background in psychology and business, "The Happiness Advantage" offers valuable insights into how positive psychological practices can be leveraged for personal growth and organizational improvement. The book supports the idea that fostering a positive mindset and happiness in individuals can lead to more profound success and fulfillment, not just in their personal lives but also in their professional endeavors. Achor’s work is a testament to the power of positive psychology in transforming workplaces and enhancing leadership effectiveness, making it a valuable resource for consultants aiming to drive positive change in organizations.

Growing up in a middle-class family, post-WWII, the prevailing notion I inherited was that once you become successful, then you can be happy. "Successful" was defined as having more money than God...or at least as much as someone we knew who was apparently happy like the town bank president or the owner of the Chevrolet dealership. These people were by all measures happy because they were successful. So my hopeful goal was to figure out a way to be successful and then, by some miracle, I'd become happy.Not so, says human potential expert Shawn Achors. In fact, not only is it untrue, the reverse is accurate:Be Happy. Be Successful.And Achors has the research to back it up.Reading this book is a bit like sorting through a compilation of positive psychology research, written in somewhat of a story-telling format, while experiencing the author's delightful sense of humor. I rarely laugh out loud reading b-books. I did with this one...on a flight to a speaking engagement...waking up the person seated next to me.Achors offers up his seven principles in such an accessible style that to read them is to begin practicing them. They are duplicable, not just by the bank president or Chevy dealer, but by the rest of us, too. In fact, we may be in a better position to practice them into habits because we are more open to making the switch from success/happiness to happiness/success. We entrepreneurs resist the corporate trappings that encumber change--the frozen chosen--and welcome an opportunity to focus our sights on a new bullseye--Be Happy to Be Successful.Buy the book, hit the target, and discover which one of these seven principles prompts you to higher achievement the quickest as you read it. The one that insightfully jump-started me was the one about investing more deeply in social connections. Most of us entrepreneurs (solopreneurs) when confronted with a negative world or down economy, go inside to figure it out and work harder. (At least the men do...see Ivan Misner's new book, Networking and Sex: It's Not What You Think.) Achors says happy, successful business professionals go outside to figure it out, investing in their relationships more deeply, and discover a "friendsource" positive response. I got on the phone the next morning and guess what? Achors is right--it works.So do his other six principles.One other experience I had with this book: every time I read a chapter, my own positivity improved. My own happiness increased which activitated the ripple effect of spreading the happiness to my partners at work and home. What a novel idea--a book that delivers more than information, but an experience germinated in the soil of that information.Get your copy today so you will Be Happy/Be Successful.You'll be glad, er happy, you did.

I really liked this book. Alot of really good info. The author makes alot of sense and I believe is very credible with his Harvard education.

Do you know that feeling "this is obvious" when you read something so clear and simple to understand? This book reminded me the "obvious that I forget to practice" at each sentence that I read.I greatly recommend this book to be on a recurring reading list to remember us how powerful our influence can be (negative or positive) on the environment that surrounds each of us.

"The Happiness Advantage" von Shawn Achor ist ein inspirierendes Buch, das positive Psychologie und persönliche Entwicklung miteinander verbindet. Hier ist eine mögliche Bewertung:Betreff: "Die Glücklichkeitsvorteile: Ein Blick auf das Positive"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Shawn Achor's "The Happiness Advantage" ist ein erfrischendes Werk, das die Art und Weise, wie wir Erfolg und Glück betrachten, grundlegend verändert. Durch eine Kombination aus wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen und praxisorientierten Ansätzen zeigt Achor überzeugend auf, dass Glück nicht nur eine Folge des Erfolgs ist, sondern auch ein Wegweiser dazu.Die Stärke des Buches liegt in seiner wissenschaftlichen Fundierung, die dennoch leicht verständlich bleibt. Achor präsentiert Forschungsergebnisse auf unterhaltsame Weise und illustriert sie mit anschaulichen Beispielen aus dem Alltag. Die Idee, dass Glückliche produktiver sind und bessere Ergebnisse erzielen, ist überzeugend dargelegt.Besonders wertvoll sind die praktischen Tipps und Übungen, die Achor bietet, um positive Gewohnheiten zu entwickeln und das eigene Glücksniveau zu steigern. Die Anwendbarkeit im beruflichen und persönlichen Kontext macht das Buch zu einem wertvollen Begleiter für jeden, der nachhaltige Veränderungen in seinem Leben anstrebt."The Happiness Advantage" ist nicht nur ein Buch, sondern eine Anleitung zu einem erfüllten Leben. Es erinnert uns daran, dass Glück kein Zufall ist, sondern eine bewusste Wahl. Eine klare Empfehlung für alle, die nach einer positiven Perspektive auf Erfolg und Lebensqualität suchen.

Boek is helaas beschadigd aangekomen

Forse non tutte le tecniche descritte per essere felici sono efficaci ma il principio di cercare di essere felici in modo che questo ci porti poi al successo e' portentoso.... Ne ho regalatedecine di copie a amici e collaboratori.