By Ramkumar Seshu, Author of Born to Win and Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita
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You know what I’ve learned after 43 years of helping people help themselves? The happiest workplaces aren’t just the most resilient—they’re the most profitable. In today’s world of constant change—economic turbulence, technological disruption, and global uncertainties—CXOs face a fundamental truth: it’s not your strategy that determines survival, it’s your people’s mindset. And when your people are happy, they don’t just weather storms—they become rain makers, dance in the rain and enjoy the rainbow’s.
Research from Oxford University confirms what we’ve seen at Born To Win time and again: happy workers are 13% more productive.¹ But here’s the beautiful part—it’s not just about productivity. It’s about creating a happy workplace where people genuinely want to bring their best selves to work every single day.
Why Happy Workplaces Are Resilient Workplaces
Let me share something that might surprise you. Born to Win research shows that 75% of executives say a growth mindset is important for organizational success, but only half of them think their leaders actually demonstrate it. This gap isn’t about competence—it’s about happiness and authentic connection.
When we talk about resilience, we’re really talking about the ability to bounce back with joy, not just survive. Recent studies reveal that employee happiness is the main factor for staying at or quitting their job. Think about it—would you rather have a team that grits their teeth through challenges, or one that leads the organization in difficult times.
At Born To Win, we’ve discovered that the “I Can” mindset isn’t just about confidence—it’s about finding happiness in the process of overcoming obstacles. When you combine this with “You Can” support systems and “We Can” team energy, you create something magical: a resilient organization that thrives on happiness.
Three Mindset Shifts That Create Happy, Resilient Leaders
After working with thousands of leaders across India and beyond, I’ve identified three transformational shifts that don’t just build resilience—they create genuinely happy workplaces where people love to contribute.
- Transform Uncertainty into Joyful Discovery
Let me tell you about Raj, the CEO of a Services company in Mumbai. When I first met him six months ago, he looked like a man caught between two worlds – Opportunity and Chaos. His industry was facing massive disruption—new technologies, changing customer demands, supply chain chaos. “Ram,” he said, “I feel like I’m trying to navigate in a storm with no compass. My team is stressed, our meetings have become anxiety sessions, and honestly, I’m not sure any of us remember what it feels like to be excited about coming to work.”
His employee engagement scores had dropped considerably. People were going through the motions, but the joy, the creative spark, the energy that drives real innovation—it was all gone. The workplace had become a place of fear rather than possibility.
That’s when we introduced what I call the “Happy Uncertainty Mindset” through our “Born to Win-Winning to Lead” program. Instead of trying to predict the unpredictable, we helped Raj’s team find joy in exploration. Our weekly sessions were all about discovery, where teams would brainstorm not just solutions, and opportunities that could emerge from uncertainty. We created a simple but powerful practice: every time a challenge arose, someone would ask, “What if this is exactly what we need to discover something wonderful?”
The transformation was remarkable. Within 90 days, Raj’s company had identified three new market opportunities they had never considered before. But more importantly, their workplace happiness scores increased. People started looking forward to Monday morning strategy sessions. Teams began volunteering for challenging projects. Raj called me recently and said, “Ram, you won’t believe this—my people are excited about uncertainty now. They see it as a playground, not a battlefield.”
The science backs this up. Leaders who embrace ambiguity as an adventure rather than a threat make decisions faster and create significantly happier work environments. When CEO’s chose to embrace the unclear future while others resisted, they are not just being strategic—they choose to find excitement in the unknown.
Your Action Step: Next time your team faces uncertainty, pause and ask this happiness-focused question: “What if this challenge is exactly what we need to discover something wonderful?” Watch how this simple reframe transforms not just outcomes, but the energy in your workplace.
- Focus on What Brings Joy and Letting Go
Most leaders exhaust themselves and their teams trying to control the unmanageable. But truly resilient, happy leaders know a secret: when you focus your energy on what you can let go—and find genuine satisfaction in that—you create ripples of positive energy throughout your organization.
Leaders who prioritize controllable factors reduce stress and boost team output. But more importantly, they create workplaces where people feel empowered and happy rather than helpless and frustrated.
Think about the CEO’s, who during the pandemic choose to focus on what they could directly influence, Company culture and emerging technologies and not obsessing over forces beyond their control. The result? A transformation into an admired workplace where people genuinely love contributing their best at the workplace.
Your Action Step: Every morning, ask yourself: “What three things can I do today that will bring more happiness to my team?” It might be recognizing someone’s contribution, improving a process, or simply choosing to bring positive energy to your interactions.
- Celebration of Learning, Not Just Results
Here’s a story that still gives me goosebumps. Priya, the CTO of a leading IT services company, was facing a crisis. Her teams had become so afraid of failure that they only pursued guaranteed wins. “Ram,” she told me during our first meeting, “we’ve become boring. My brightest engineers are playing it safe, and honestly, I can see the light going out of their eyes. We haven’t had a breakthrough innovation in years.”
The workplace had become risk-averse and, frankly, quite joyless. People were going through the motions without the spark of creativity and happiness that drives real innovation. Meetings were sterile, ideas were safe, and the culture of experimentation that once defined the company had vanished.
That’s when we introduced what I call the “Celebration of Learning” culture through our “Born to Win – Winning Teams” program. Instead of just celebrating successes, we started celebrating insights gained from setbacks. We created monthly “Learning Festivals” where teams would share their most interesting experiences and what they discovered. We established “Enthusiasm Awards” for the most creative attempts, regardless of outcome. Priya herself started sharing her own learning stories, making vulnerability and growth a source of happiness rather than shame.
The magic happened gradually. Teams started proactively suggesting experiments. The energy of continuous learning became infectious. People began looking forward to sharing their “beautiful failures” because they knew the insights would be celebrated. Within a year, the company launched innovative services—compared to zero in the previous years. But the real transformation was in workplace happiness. Employee satisfaction scores jumped, and they became known in their industry as a “happy workplace where people love to learn.”
This reminds me when you approach learning with curiosity and joy, failure becomes just a stepping stone for discovery.
Your Action Step: After any setback, gather your team within 48 hours and ask: “What did we learn that makes us smarter and happier moving forward?” Create a culture where learning is always a reason to celebrate.
The Cost of Unhappy, Rigid Workplaces
Let’s be honest about what happens when leaders maintain fixed mindsets and create unhappy work environments. Companies lose a lot of money every year because of disengaged employees. But beyond the numbers, consider the human cost—people spending 40+ hours a week in environments that drain their joy and potential.
When leaders refused to adapt despite having the technology, they don’t just lose a lot of money—they create years of workplace anxiety, fear, and ultimately, the devastation of thousands of careers. Fixed mindsets don’t just hurt business results; they create unhappy workplaces where people’s potential withers.
The Happiness Dividend: What Resilient, Joyful Workplaces Achieve
Here’s what truly excites me: when you create genuinely happy workplaces built on resilient mindsets, the results are exponential. Companies with happy, engaged employees see higher productivity, but more importantly, they become places where people genuinely want to contribute their best work.
At Born To Win, our clients consistently report that our programs don’t just improve performance—they create workplaces where people are excited to collaborate, eager to grow, and proud to contribute. Our “Winning to Lead” participants report faster strategic decision-making, while our “Inspire & Win” graduates lift team happiness.
Your Happiness-Resilience Action Plan
Turbulent times don’t wait for perfect conditions—and neither should your commitment to creating a happy, resilient workplace. Start this week with one simple practice:
Choose One Happiness-Building Focus:
- Joyful Discovery: When challenges arise, ask “What opportunity for happiness and growth might be hidden here?”
- Control with Joy: Focus your energy on actions that both move the business forward and bring satisfaction to your team
- Celebrate Learning: Find genuine reasons to appreciate people, even when results aren’t perfect
Remember, at Born To Win, we believe that winning isn’t just about achieving goals—it’s about creating workplaces where people are genuinely happy to pursue those goals together. Because when your people are happy, they don’t just succeed—they soar.
Ready to transform your workplace culture? Let’s build a happy, resilient organization together. Connect with Born To Win today : https://borntowin.co.in/contact-us/
References:
De Neve, J.E., Ward, G., & Bellet, C. (2019). Does Employee Happiness Have an Impact on Productivity? University of Oxford. Retrieved from https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-10-24-happy-workers-are-13-more-productive
