Contents

Foreword

Introduction

The scariest, best moments and how they change us permanently

What I want from you and for you

01 The happiness/brain science connection

Neural pathways and behaviour

The history of neuroplasticity

Battling the bad habits

The ever-adapting memory

How our brains fire and wire

The motivated brain

Delivering meaning

How simple can it be?

Encourage friendships

Recommended reading

02 The history of happiness

Rising from the ashes

Socrates

Helen Keller

Nelson Mandela

William James

Returning to the Towers after 9/11

The morning nurse or the night nurse?

The happiness shift

The happiness saturation

Recommended reading

Watch!

03 The power of habit

Our lazy brains

The myth of the 21-day habit

Quick wins

Physical and psychological fitness

When habits go bad

The attitude of gratitude

Building habits for life

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04 Emotional intelligence and leadership

What is emotional intelligence?

The early adopters

Looking upstream

The return on investment of high emotional intelligence

The competitive advantage

Happiness and money: The awkward conversation

Outcomes of higher emotional intelligence

Survival of the authentic

Recommended reading

05 Conscious capitalism

What is conscious capitalism?

Do customers really care?

The firms of endearment

The talent attraction and retention benefit

How can we shift from old patterns to new patterns?

The story of Whole Foods

Embarking on the conscious capitalist journey

Where to start?

Recommended reading

06 The happiness disruptors

The technology explosion

The pitfalls of professional development

We’re missing the budget

How learning equals loyalty

Feeling cool towards the hot desk

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07 Engaging the whole person

How work makes us feel alive... and keeps us alive too

The whole person

The introduction of work/life balance

The power of purpose

Building a flexible culture

Millennials

To wrap up

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08 A happier approach to change

Change is hard

Ignoring change won’t make it go away

Is happiness too hard?

Who are these leaders?

The little things are actually the big things

Why authenticity matters

Why do we react negatively to change?

Brain management vs change management

How can happiness help navigate change more effectively?

Recommended reading

09 Want to be a global company? Be a global citizen

Dimensions of global brands

The pursuit of purpose vs. the pursuit of profit

Purpose or perks?

Laurent and lululemon

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10 The future of happiness

Humanizing the super-computer

When robots learn emotional intelligence

How will this change the workforce?

The future of ageing happily

The rise of mindfulness

Frankenstein, or just great science?

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

References

Index