This series of blog posts by George Mason professors and authors Dr. Beth Cabrera and Dr. Steve Gladis will explore how positivity helps everyone at work be more successful, from the guy who delivers the FedEx packages, to the people on your team, to the CEO.

Let’s start with a couple of questions:

-- What do people want for their children?  To be:

A. Famous          B. Attractive              C.  Wealthy               D. Happy

If you’re like most people, you chose “D,” Happy.

-- Why then do so many people pursue fame, glamour and wealth instead?

Answer: They “pursue” these things because they believe it will bring them happiness. For them, happiness is a goal or destination. They say to themselves, “If I can only get that promotion, then I’ll be happy.” These if-then statements are the wrong way to think about happiness. Look at all the rich, famous and beautiful people who are miserable—loads of celebrities end up in very unhappy places. Fortunately, recent research in positive psychology has identified strategies that have been proven to increase happiness.

This is important because everyone works better, faster and smarter when they’re in a positive mood. Happy people are more open to learning and adaptive to change than sourpusses or Debbie Downers. Positive people are more engaged in their work and engaged workers produce up to thirty percent more!

If you’re a leader, talent manager, HR professional, coach, or in any way involved with helping people at work, you have great influence not only over your own happiness and positivity, but over that of the people around you as well. So you can help others be more successful by figuring out what makes people happy and how to keep them positive at work.

That’s what this blog series is all about. Here’s what’s coming up, so stay tuned!

1. How positivity leads to success

2. Positive leaders spread productivity

3. Strengths-based talent management

Positive leadership coaching