A lesson on creating happiness from Harvard Business School
A friend and fellow classmate of mine from Harvard, Donald Tighe, sent me this thought-provoking article from the Wall Street Journal on how Harvard’s Business School and other leading Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs are inspiring their students and graduates to find happiness in their daily lives and careers.
When most people think of business school, they usually think of taking courses on the more “traditional” corporate topics: financial modeling, data analytics, digital transformation, etc. However, according to Lindsay Ellis, the author of the piece, courses on happiness, relationships, and balance are among the most in-demand courses at top MBA programs. This popularity is attributed to students’ desire for a balanced life distanced from a world of instant-gratification, while developing their skills to become better managers and bosses in their careers.
Ellis gives examples of a few popular “happiness courses” offered at the country’s top schools, including:
- Dr. Arthur Brooks’ “Leadership and Happiness” course at Harvard, which helps students learn to cultivate their teams’ happiness in addition to their own;
- an “Interpersonal Dynamics” course at Stanford, which teaches students self-awareness for improving communication and relationships; and
- a “Mastering Influence and Persuasion” course at Yale, which focuses on students improving their ability to authentically persuade and motivate others.
In Dr. Brooks’ course, students learn the soft skills that are attributable to strong, successful leaders. Class presentations consist of students mixing Bible verses with psychological research and Buddhist teachings to put together what the key to true happiness and purpose is. He also asks students tough questions, like distinguishing their “real friends” from their more transactional “deal friends.”
Students enjoyed the course so much that they created a Harvard Business School Student Association position called the “VP of Happiness” to help share happy moments with each other. The VP of Happiness introduces wellness activities and other communal activities to the student body so that they better understand that work can be connected to purpose.
I’m pleased to know that so many students are prioritizing these courses. I recently discussed the importance of self-knowledge for growth as leaders, and that also holds true with our happiness. If we don’t find our true key to happiness and subsequently help our friends and employees find purpose in themselves, we won’t live up to our full potential as leaders.