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The Joy of Leadership: How Positive Psychology Can Maximize Your Impact (and Make You Happier) in a Challenging World
Think of the last time you were at your best and working in the zone. Now compare that to all the time you’ve spent just going through the motions. How would you quantify the difference between the two in terms of how you felt and what you produced? Would you rate it as a 5% difference. . . a 50% difference? Most people would describe the gulf between those two states of being as vast—as deep and wide as the Grand Canyon. For quality of experience, engagement, productivity, and just the sheer joy of living, the majority of people asked to rate the difference between flourishing and floundering found it to be around a factor of 10.
In their work with managers and executives at leading companies around the world, authors Tal Ben-Shahar and Angus Ridgway have identified a select group of individuals who consistently perform at their peak, and who make work seem effortless and working with them feel easy. The name they’ve given to those lucky few is “10X Leaders”. You know who they are. They’re the team leaders who bring out the best in everyone. They’re the senior managers who drive growth and innovation. They’re the dream bosses, dream partners, and dream colleagues. There’s a good chance you’ve encountered at least one 10X leader in your career—you’re probably thinking of one right now. And you wondered how they did it.
Dr. Ben-Shahar and Mr. Ridgway believe they know the answer. They have identified the core characteristics, behaviors, and cognitive styles that all 10X leaders share. Even better, they’ve developed a way for virtually anyone to cultivate those traits and ways of thinking in themselves to become happier, more effective, and more successful.
In this powerful new book they describe their revolutionary SHARP (Strength, Health, Absorption, Relationships, and Purpose) program for becoming a 10X leader. They tell you the true stories of people at organizations around the globe who’ve become more effective by learning to use these performance multipliers. And they offer proven strategies for mastering those characteristics and habits for lasting change—the kind of change that can bring you greater fulfilment and success, not just at work, but in every area of your life.
In their work with managers and executives at leading companies around the world, authors Tal Ben-Shahar and Angus Ridgway have identified a select group of individuals who consistently perform at their peak, and who make work seem effortless and working with them feel easy. The name they’ve given to those lucky few is “10X Leaders”. You know who they are. They’re the team leaders who bring out the best in everyone. They’re the senior managers who drive growth and innovation. They’re the dream bosses, dream partners, and dream colleagues. There’s a good chance you’ve encountered at least one 10X leader in your career—you’re probably thinking of one right now. And you wondered how they did it.
Dr. Ben-Shahar and Mr. Ridgway believe they know the answer. They have identified the core characteristics, behaviors, and cognitive styles that all 10X leaders share. Even better, they’ve developed a way for virtually anyone to cultivate those traits and ways of thinking in themselves to become happier, more effective, and more successful.
In this powerful new book they describe their revolutionary SHARP (Strength, Health, Absorption, Relationships, and Purpose) program for becoming a 10X leader. They tell you the true stories of people at organizations around the globe who’ve become more effective by learning to use these performance multipliers. And they offer proven strategies for mastering those characteristics and habits for lasting change—the kind of change that can bring you greater fulfilment and success, not just at work, but in every area of your life.
205 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 14, 2017
52 people are currently reading
408 people want to read
About the author
Tal Ben-Shahar
31 books326 followersTal Ben-Shahar (Hebrew: טל בן-שחר, also known as Tal David Ben-Shachar) is an Israeli teacher and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership.
Tal Ben-Shahar taught at Harvard, where his classes on Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership were among the most popular courses in the University's history. Today Tal teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
Tal received his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. His dissertation, completed in 2004, is titled "Restoring Self-Esteem's Self-Esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth." Additionally, he also holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Harvard in Philosophy and Psychology. His undergraduate thesis, completed in 1996, is titled "Honesty Pays: Bridging the Gap Between Moral Theory and Practice."
Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. He is the author of the international best sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25 languages.
[Sourced from his wikipedia article.]
Tal Ben-Shahar taught at Harvard, where his classes on Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership were among the most popular courses in the University's history. Today Tal teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
Tal received his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. His dissertation, completed in 2004, is titled "Restoring Self-Esteem's Self-Esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth." Additionally, he also holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Harvard in Philosophy and Psychology. His undergraduate thesis, completed in 1996, is titled "Honesty Pays: Bridging the Gap Between Moral Theory and Practice."
Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. He is the author of the international best sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25 languages.
[Sourced from his wikipedia article.]
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 1, 2022
With the promise of a “10X” leader, a leader who is ten times more effective than the norm while keeping themselves and the team happy, this book advises on being effective and happy in workplaces for both workers and leaders. The central part of the book is part 2: the SHARP principles. In this part, the book provides five guiding principles: strength, health, absorption, relationships, and purpose.
The authors dispel the myth that addressing one’s shortcomings is the best way to grow. Instead, the “strength” principle says one should focus on expanding and applying strength. A strength is something one is BOTH passionate about and good at doing. Building on strength is more cost-effective than making up for shortcomings. It also creates self-confidence that can be leveraged when working on weaknesses. Effective workers should seek ways to identify, grow, and apply their strengths at work. Effective leaders should build teams and assign jobs matching everyone’s strengths. Particularly, they should build teams with diverse skills so that unexpected collective strength can emerge. Focusing on strength also means aligning work with our values and passions, thus making work more enjoyable and rewarding. Strength is our best ally when it comes to working effectiveness and workplace happiness.
The next in the recipe is “health.” According to the book, we should manage energy, not time, since time is not always effectively used due to the lack of energy. Unlike time, energy does not have a fixed supply for everyone. We gain more energy by spending some time on our own well-being and recharge. Energy does not only mean being active but also means focusing at work. Through meditation and self-awareness, we can improve our concentration at work and our efficiency while recharging. Shifting from time management to energy management provides a new perspective on improving work efficiency.
“A” is for absorption, reaching the vaunted “flow” state. In this section, the book provides nothing more than Dan Pink’s book “Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us.” The authors claimed that “flow” could be achieved not rarely but regularly. However, I have not seen convincing advice on how to do that.
Studies have shown that relationship is extremely important in happiness, and this is true in the workplace, as the book states with “R.” We are not necessarily close friends with our coworkers. However, we need to cooperate and support each other harmoniously when working together. To maintain good relationships, it is important to manage the feedback process. Instead of focusing on “areas of improvement,” we should identify successes and encourage workers to learn from them. Relationship is a focus of “positive psychology,” which is the foundation of this book.
The last key to effectiveness is “purpose,” meaning finding meaning in work. Not all work has obvious meanings. Yet, we can choose the stories about work that motivate us and make us happy. The purpose is also a way to motivate our teams. Instead of focusing on deliverables and KPIs, a leader should communicate vision and purpose to the team.
Other than the SHARP principles, part 1 of the book is marketing material for the book and for the “10X leader” training program. Part 3 talks about implementing the SHARP principles and making personal and institutional changes. This part has no novel contents.
Overall, the book has some interesting ideas and topics (such as focusing on the strength). However, it is significantly watered down by marketing. The SHARP principles are convincing, and the book finds support from the author’s personal experiences. However, the book fails to expand fully on what these principles mean and how to apply them to individual and institutional works. The book feels like a teaser for the training program instead of a complete guide. Readers who accept the SHARP framework may find useful materials in other related books.
The authors dispel the myth that addressing one’s shortcomings is the best way to grow. Instead, the “strength” principle says one should focus on expanding and applying strength. A strength is something one is BOTH passionate about and good at doing. Building on strength is more cost-effective than making up for shortcomings. It also creates self-confidence that can be leveraged when working on weaknesses. Effective workers should seek ways to identify, grow, and apply their strengths at work. Effective leaders should build teams and assign jobs matching everyone’s strengths. Particularly, they should build teams with diverse skills so that unexpected collective strength can emerge. Focusing on strength also means aligning work with our values and passions, thus making work more enjoyable and rewarding. Strength is our best ally when it comes to working effectiveness and workplace happiness.
The next in the recipe is “health.” According to the book, we should manage energy, not time, since time is not always effectively used due to the lack of energy. Unlike time, energy does not have a fixed supply for everyone. We gain more energy by spending some time on our own well-being and recharge. Energy does not only mean being active but also means focusing at work. Through meditation and self-awareness, we can improve our concentration at work and our efficiency while recharging. Shifting from time management to energy management provides a new perspective on improving work efficiency.
“A” is for absorption, reaching the vaunted “flow” state. In this section, the book provides nothing more than Dan Pink’s book “Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us.” The authors claimed that “flow” could be achieved not rarely but regularly. However, I have not seen convincing advice on how to do that.
Studies have shown that relationship is extremely important in happiness, and this is true in the workplace, as the book states with “R.” We are not necessarily close friends with our coworkers. However, we need to cooperate and support each other harmoniously when working together. To maintain good relationships, it is important to manage the feedback process. Instead of focusing on “areas of improvement,” we should identify successes and encourage workers to learn from them. Relationship is a focus of “positive psychology,” which is the foundation of this book.
The last key to effectiveness is “purpose,” meaning finding meaning in work. Not all work has obvious meanings. Yet, we can choose the stories about work that motivate us and make us happy. The purpose is also a way to motivate our teams. Instead of focusing on deliverables and KPIs, a leader should communicate vision and purpose to the team.
Other than the SHARP principles, part 1 of the book is marketing material for the book and for the “10X leader” training program. Part 3 talks about implementing the SHARP principles and making personal and institutional changes. This part has no novel contents.
Overall, the book has some interesting ideas and topics (such as focusing on the strength). However, it is significantly watered down by marketing. The SHARP principles are convincing, and the book finds support from the author’s personal experiences. However, the book fails to expand fully on what these principles mean and how to apply them to individual and institutional works. The book feels like a teaser for the training program instead of a complete guide. Readers who accept the SHARP framework may find useful materials in other related books.
September 6, 2023
J'ai absolument adoré "L'apprentissage du bonheur" de Tal Ben-Shahar. Cette expérience m'a donné envie de lire ce livre du même auteur. Et je suis un peu déçu. Les messages ont bien sûr beaucoup de sens mais sont moins inspirant que dans le premier livre. On ressasse des informations déjà présentées dans d'autres livres d'autres auteurs sans vraiment y apporter un plus.
Le plus gênant est que les auteurs font constamment référence a leur formation qui permet de devenir un meilleur leader sans réellement plonger dans le contenu de manière pratique. Ça peut ressembler parfois a une plaquette publicitaire de luxe.
Il reste d'excellentes idées a mettre en pratique. Mais cette mise en pratique est difficile si on découvre ces idées avec ce livre.
Le plus gênant est que les auteurs font constamment référence a leur formation qui permet de devenir un meilleur leader sans réellement plonger dans le contenu de manière pratique. Ça peut ressembler parfois a une plaquette publicitaire de luxe.
Il reste d'excellentes idées a mettre en pratique. Mais cette mise en pratique est difficile si on découvre ces idées avec ce livre.
October 4, 2021
When I first started listening to this on Hoopla, it seemed like any other leadership book that I had read, albeit with a heavy emphasis on the 10x leadership goals so I thought to myself, “This book is just one big commercial for their product, how disappointing.” However, I dutifully listened and noted the key principles of S.H.A.R.P. (Strengths, Health, Absorption, Relationships, Purpose). The more I listened, the more I wanted to put into practice what the authors were saying.
All the aspects of S.H.A.R.P. are tied together. While I am not a fan of witty acronyms, I see the greater good of the whole. Though the challenge of tying all of the points together as one eludes me. The authors talked about each point individually (though this was before COVID so I would love to see a new edition incorporating that!) and then each chapter had a “sharpening point” at the end to really reinforce the point with exercises/challenges for one to reflect on or to start including in your life or to start working on with your team or with family members or with all of the above.
How to incorporate them all at once is the greater challenge? The authors said that if you only incorporate one or some of them (haha, synergize them) you will fail. You will not be a fully-rounded person leading the best life you can lead. While part of me recognizes this as part of their rhetoric, part of me sees this as also being something to try and attain. Something to work toward and then show to my team. As it was saying at the end, it is not what your words say alone, rather what your actions show others.
There was so much packed into this book that listening to it once alone would not be enough. I want to read it (physically) as I think I would absorb it better the second time. Some things seemed like they would apply to a leader of a big corporation: I cannot necessarily lead my team in daily 20-minute mindfulness sessions or take them on team-building retreats or get us all to volunteer monthly for a worthy cause that would give back to our local community, as much as those might be lofty goals. I cannot only support blue zones.
What I can do: focus on my strengths and try to help my team build up their strengths. Be more purposeful in my relationships and in my work; for me this means, instead of daily dreading my emails, looking at it as a story of relationship-building and others telling me stories. When I answer my emails, I am building relationships with others and they are telling me their stories. I am trying to work on my health right now; this feels like the thing I can least control. And Absorption is a new challenge for me; I will try to find my flow in shelf-reading. It’s easy for me to find my flow in reading or creating or story-telling or doing programs. Keeping flow going throughout the minutiae of daily tasks is something new to think about! There were so many things for a leader to take to heart. Every reading could reveal something new.
All the aspects of S.H.A.R.P. are tied together. While I am not a fan of witty acronyms, I see the greater good of the whole. Though the challenge of tying all of the points together as one eludes me. The authors talked about each point individually (though this was before COVID so I would love to see a new edition incorporating that!) and then each chapter had a “sharpening point” at the end to really reinforce the point with exercises/challenges for one to reflect on or to start including in your life or to start working on with your team or with family members or with all of the above.
How to incorporate them all at once is the greater challenge? The authors said that if you only incorporate one or some of them (haha, synergize them) you will fail. You will not be a fully-rounded person leading the best life you can lead. While part of me recognizes this as part of their rhetoric, part of me sees this as also being something to try and attain. Something to work toward and then show to my team. As it was saying at the end, it is not what your words say alone, rather what your actions show others.
There was so much packed into this book that listening to it once alone would not be enough. I want to read it (physically) as I think I would absorb it better the second time. Some things seemed like they would apply to a leader of a big corporation: I cannot necessarily lead my team in daily 20-minute mindfulness sessions or take them on team-building retreats or get us all to volunteer monthly for a worthy cause that would give back to our local community, as much as those might be lofty goals. I cannot only support blue zones.
What I can do: focus on my strengths and try to help my team build up their strengths. Be more purposeful in my relationships and in my work; for me this means, instead of daily dreading my emails, looking at it as a story of relationship-building and others telling me stories. When I answer my emails, I am building relationships with others and they are telling me their stories. I am trying to work on my health right now; this feels like the thing I can least control. And Absorption is a new challenge for me; I will try to find my flow in shelf-reading. It’s easy for me to find my flow in reading or creating or story-telling or doing programs. Keeping flow going throughout the minutiae of daily tasks is something new to think about! There were so many things for a leader to take to heart. Every reading could reveal something new.
October 1, 2021
Try for leadership
This reading has been one of the most interesting I ever read regarding the topic. I think that leadership is more than a word most companies use in their daily language, as the authors said, leadership must be a vivid experience, and it is up to us try harder to act as a leader, it does not mean we are going to become a CEO, but it means you and myself can excel at our daily assignments and luckily inspire others to do so.
This reading has been one of the most interesting I ever read regarding the topic. I think that leadership is more than a word most companies use in their daily language, as the authors said, leadership must be a vivid experience, and it is up to us try harder to act as a leader, it does not mean we are going to become a CEO, but it means you and myself can excel at our daily assignments and luckily inspire others to do so.
January 30, 2023
Une excellente lecture qui fourmille de pistes à explorer et à travailler. Je n'ai mis que 4 étoiles parce que, de temps à autres, j'ai eu un peu l'impression que les auteurs nous plaçaient quelques lignes de promo pour leur programme.
Encore un livre que j'ai pu lire dans le cadre de mon abonnement Audible et qui vaut le coup d'être acheté en version papier. Dommage qu'il ne soit pas édité en poche...
Encore un livre que j'ai pu lire dans le cadre de mon abonnement Audible et qui vaut le coup d'être acheté en version papier. Dommage qu'il ne soit pas édité en poche...
January 20, 2023
Still trying to decide what I think about this book. Some really good quotes, but some of the studies referred to are so often used that they are cliche to me. However, the acronym SHARP was very useful to me and I have used it several times already since I started reading it.
January 19, 2020
Nice review of basic OB from Maslow to Mindfulness
July 31, 2020
Completely different view of leadership, if followed will certainly bring joy in one's life
August 20, 2022
I feel the need to listen to one of these every so often just to remind myself. But I don’t know if it really ever clicks. But I keep listening and trying to absorb more leadership skills.
April 27, 2020
I really liked this! I appreciated the statistics based insights paired with practical applications. Walked away with a lot of good thoughts to implement with a future team.
May 31, 2025
The Joy of Leadership is a book that combines lessons from positive psychology with leadership skills. The authors, Tal Ben-Shahar and Angus Ridgway, believe that good leaders are not just focused on results—they also care about personal growth, happiness, and purpose.
The book introduces the SHARP model: Strengths, Health, Absorption, Relationships, and Purpose. These five areas help leaders become more effective and feel more fulfilled. The book gives practical tips, real examples, and simple strategies that leaders can apply in their daily lives.
What makes this book special is its focus on joy. It shows that leadership can be meaningful and enjoyable, not just stressful or demanding.
The book introduces the SHARP model: Strengths, Health, Absorption, Relationships, and Purpose. These five areas help leaders become more effective and feel more fulfilled. The book gives practical tips, real examples, and simple strategies that leaders can apply in their daily lives.
What makes this book special is its focus on joy. It shows that leadership can be meaningful and enjoyable, not just stressful or demanding.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews