lens

Make the Connection

Applying the science of happiness to nurture empathetic leaders

Anthony Jack says he's a pretty happy person. But he knows his definition of happiness may differ from that of others.

"We live in a materialistic culture that encourages us to think income and achievements are the most important things for our happiness, so we set them as primary goals in life,” said Jack, PhD. "But research shows that those things have a surprisingly small impact on our happiness.”

An associate professor of philosophy, psychology, neurology and neuroscience at Case Western Reserve, Jack also is principal investigator of the Brain, Mind and Consciousness Lab on campus. He synthesizes all of his roles to teach his popular course, "The Art and Science of Happiness.” He also applies his happiness research in his course "Empathetic Leadership.” In a recent interview with Think, Jack discussed how we should actually define happiness and the relationship between empathy and effective leadership.

Anthony Jack

How did you get interested in the science of happiness?

I spent most of the beginning of my career working with brain imaging. I was able to show that there are two ways of thinking. One is analytic—logic, math and science. The other is empathetic—being aware of and regulating our emotions and our social connections with others. To lead a good life and be resilient to setbacks, you've got to train both sides of your brain.

You said what many people believe will make them happy is wrong. So what does actually make us happy?

Research tells us that the strength and quality of your social connections is the most important factor that determines your happiness. It is also one of the most important factors affecting our physical health.

Is being happy the same as being a good person?

In a sense, it truly is. If you look at the factors that make you happy, which are being able to regulate your emotions and having strong, rich social connections, they're closely tied to leading an ethical life. There's lots of evidence to suggest that being ethical makes you happier and also that happier people are kinder and more productive.

You also teach a course on empathetic leadership. What is an empathetic leader?

Good leaders give the people they're leading the space to find meaning and purpose in what they do. Research shows that when people do things that they're intrinsically motivated to do, it's a self-sustaining form of motivation and they feel happy doing those things. On the other hand, if you rely on external motivators, like paying people more, it only makes them work harder in the short term. It also increases their appetite for more extrinsic rewards. If your followers trust you and feel like you've got their back, you'll have much more motivated employees. People can do amazing things when they feel emotionally connected to others and a larger purpose.

— JENNIE YABROFF