The Happiness Squad Podcast with Ashish Kothari

Leaders often assume transformation comes from learning new skills or following the latest management trend. But real change begins when we confront our own beliefs, reflect deeply, and choose to step out of victimhood into agency. That inner work is what lays the foundation for lasting growth in how we lead and live. Only then can leaders create change that resonates far beyond the workplace.In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Shawn Quinn talk about the deep reflection leaders need to build their own reality and move from victimhood to agency in life and leadership.Shawn Quinn is the Managing Partner of Lift Consulting and Faculty Director of the Positive Leadership program at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. A leading voice in positive leadership and organizational transformation, he has advised global companies including GE, Coca-Cola, American Express, and the U.S. Army. Shawn is also co-author of Leading Innovation: How to Jumpstart Your Organization’s Growth Engine.Shawn and Ashish explored how transformation doesn’t come from another training, another framework, or another leadership fad. It happens when we pause, reflect, and face the beliefs that hold us back.Things you will also learn in this episode:• Breaking free from a victim mindset• Why belief shifts matter more than skills in true transformation• The power of small experiments, reflection, and awareness to spark change• How leaders at any level—not just executives—can create meaningful impact• How workplace behaviors ripple outward into family, children, and community• The challenge of systems and people resisting changeTune in now and see for yourself how this shift unlocks the kind of transformation no trend or tactic can deliver.✅Resources:• Related episode: (Robert Quinn) https://player.captivate.fm/episode/1b7c5df6-06e1-4929-83d3-5849caa6b9b5 • Strengthsfinder by Gallup: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/254033/strengthsfinder.aspx • A Fundamental State of Leadership Approach: https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1444&context=jvbl • Charles Snyder’s Hope Theory: https://www.mindtools.com/aov3izj/snyders-hope-theory • The Sunflower Model: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ee784c9c-cf26-48df-b07f-b4c0dcc638f3 • The Sunflower Model: https://happinesssquad.com/the-sunflower-model-career-transition-guide-with-ashish-kothari/ • The Power of the 5:1 Ratio: https://michiganvirtual.org/blog/the-power-of-the-51-ratio-in-the-classroom-how-fostering-positive-interactions-can-transform-student-learning/ • Martin Seligman’s Learned Helplessness: https://www.simplypsychology.org/learned-helplessness.html ✅Books:• Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within by Robert E. Quinn: https://a.co/d/dDxJb77 • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/fpmucOP

For years, companies have relied on credentials and rigid job structures that filter out talent instead of developing it. But in a world where roles are shifting fast, especially with AI, those old models are holding organizations back and leaving employees frustrated. It’s time for organizations to unlock human potential by rethinking talent development for the future of work.In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Stacey Dietsch—former McKinsey partner and senior executive at Liberty Mutual— to explore how skills-based practices, leadership investment, and responsible AI adoption can help organizations empower people and close the talent gap.Stacey Dietsch is Executive Vice President of Talent Pipeline at Liberty Mutual Insurance, where she leads the end-to-end talent lifecycle—including strategic workforce planning, talent attraction, onboarding, learning and development, performance management, and career growth across 45,000 employees globally. Before joining Liberty Mutual in January 2024, Stacey spent nearly two decades as a Partner in McKinsey & Company’s People & Organizational Performance Practice, helping organizations align their talent, culture, and operating models to drive sustainable performance and meaningful work.Stacey emphasizes that building thriving organizations requires deliberate choices—simplifying structures, developing leaders at every level, and giving people ownership of their growth and impact. Tune in now and learn what unlocks your team’s real potential.Things you will learn in this episode:• Why empowered workplaces outperform bureaucratic ones• The role of purpose, autonomy, and trust in employee flourishing• The shift from credential-based to skills-based hiring and promotion• The promise of STARS (Skilled Through Alternative Routes) in widening talent pipelines• Using AI responsibly: not just for cost savings, but for growth and workplace transformation✅Resources:• Liberty Mutual Insurance: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liberty-mutual-insurance/ • STARS (Skilled Through Alternative Routes) framework: https://www.opportunityatwork.org/stars • Positive Organizational Scholarship: https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/an-introduction/ ✅Books:• Multipliers, Revised and Updated: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman: https://a.co/d/cgjo5ij • The Win-Win Workplace: How Thriving Employees Drive Bottom-Line Success by Angela Jackson: https://a.co/d/awtKbEP • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/fpmucOP

Most organizations aren't blind to the rising stress, burnout, and quiet quitting at work. They're just implementing workplace well-being programs that don't work. Leaders are left wondering why their people are disengaged despite offering meditation apps and mental health webinars. The real issue is that wellbeing isn't built into the business strategy.In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Julie Rust-Bodenmann, former Global Head of Wellbeing at Credit Suisse, reveal what it takes to embed wellbeing into the DNA of a business, even during a crisis. Drawing from her time at McKinsey, Credit Suisse, and UBS, Julie walks us through how she designed and rolled out a global wellbeing strategy, secured C-suite buy-in, and mobilized a 500-person wellbeing champion network across the organization.Learn how you can make wellbeing a strategic lever, not just a benefit.Things you will learn in this episode:• Why most wellness programs fail to move the needle• How to shift from treating wellbeing as a benefit to a business strategy• The critical role of role modeling and middle managers• How storytelling and regulatory pressure can win executive support• Why starting small and scaling what works beats big, flashy initiatives• Julie’s own wellbeing practices, and why leaders must start with themselvesTune in now and walk away with a practical blueprint and the conviction that flourishing workplaces aren’t just possible, they’re profitable.✅Resources:• Julie Rust-Bodenmann’s website: https://www.rust-bodenmann.com/ • Oxford University Research: https://hubstaff.com/blog/employee-satisfaction-and-productivity/ • Me-Search by Tal Ben Shahar: https://podcast.wellevatr.com/me-search-the-journey-to-happier-living-with-tal-ben-shahar • Michael Landsberg’s Sick Not Weak movement: https://www.sicknotweak.com/about/# • “This Is Me” Campaign (London): https://www.thelordmayorsappeal.org/news-and-events/events-calendar/1198/this-is-me-2023-event/ • World Economic Forum Study: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Thriving_Workplaces_How_Employers_can_Improve_Productivity_and_Change_Lives_2025.pdf • Addressing Employee Burnout: https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/addressing-employee-burnout-are-you-solving-the-right-problem • ✅Books:Hardwired for Happiness: https://a.co/d/eoPlwdE

We’ve got more tools, more tech, and more opportunities than any generation before us. On paper, we should be thriving. So why is it that, despite all this progress, work still feels exhausting? Why have our workplaces become places of stress and burnout even though we've never been more prosperous?In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Joseph Loizzo and Elazar Aslan, co-authors of Boundless Leadership, join Ashish Kothari to talk about how you can move from survival mode to truly flourishing by activating boundless leadership.Joseph Loizzo, MD, PhD, is a renowned human flourishing consultant, meditation researcher, and contemplative psychotherapist. He founded the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science and co-developed the Boundless Leadership program, integrating rigorous scientific research, deep meditation practice, and compassionate psychotherapy.Elazar Aslan, MBA, CPC, is an accomplished author, speaker, and executive coach who has pioneered the field of Conscious Leadership, guiding leaders in cultivating clarity, compassion, and embodied presence. As Director of Boundless Leadership at the Nalanda Institute and founder of Caterfly Solutions, Elazar empowers organizations to shift from stress-driven survival to purpose-driven flourishing.What does it mean to be a boundless leader? Learn how to rewire your mind, heart, and body so you can lead with clarity, compassion, and energy, and turn from survival mode to flourishing.Things you will learn from this episode:• Why workplaces keep us stuck in survival mode—and how to break free• The leadership risk of AI if we don’t use it with intention• The three disciplines of Boundless Leadership: mind, heart, and body• How self-awareness helps you lead with more clarity• Why compassion is a leadership superpower, not a soft skill• How somatic practices shift your energy and presence• Simple ways to start flourishing—wherever you are right nowWe got all the expert insights you need in this episode. Tune in now!Resources:• Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science: https://nalandainstitute.org/ • Boundless Leadership Program: https://nalandaboundlessleadership.org/ • Vipassana Meditation: https://www.dhamma.org/ Books:• Boundless Leadership: The Breakthrough Method to Realize Your Vision, Empower Others, and Ignite Positive Change by Elazar Aslan and Joseph Loizzo https://a.co/d/a6FB83v • More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead by Rasmus Hougaard: https://a.co/d/4O3poBf • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/6MKT87e 

On paper, everything looks right: your team is talented, your strategy is solid, and your goals are clear. So why does it still feel like progress is harder than it should be?Often, the real barrier isn’t a lack of strategy. It's because your people don't feel safe to bring their best selves to work. The issue is in your culture, which may have been shaped by years of fear and pressure. And in trying to fix things, it’s common to reach for more structure: more meetings, tighter KPIs, added pressure. But that rarely works. That only feeds the cycle of stagnant growth, silent disengagement, and widespread burnout. The missing ingredient isn’t strategy. It’s trust.In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Michelle Poole unpack the trust-first, people-first leadership approach that transforms cultures and leads to company breakthroughs.Michelle Poole is a seasoned consumer and footwear leader with over three decades of experience, most notably as Brand President at Crocs where she spearheaded a cultural and financial turnaround. She champions authentic, people-first leadership, fostering psychological safety, inclusivity, and trust to drive high-performing, engaged teams.Things you will learn in this episode:• How life experiences shift priorities from achievement to well-being• Gender balance at work and feminine leadership energy• Turning around a struggling brand into a market leader• How inclusivity and belonging drive performance• Three key practices for building trust in times of changeIf you feel your results are stagnant, it’s time to stop pushing harder and start leading differently.Tune in now and change the trajectory of your team and your business.Resources:• Crocs: https://www.crocs.com/stories/come-as-you-are.html • StrengthsFinder (now CliftonStrengths): https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx• How employers can create a thriving workplace: https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/thriving-workplaces-how-employers-can-improve-productivity-and-change-livesBooks:• Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware: https://a.co/d/eAO9RYv • My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future by Indra Nooyi: https://a.co/d/cBY3kES • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/bPWHmUG

Organizations love to talk about well-being. But scratch beneath the surface, and it’s the same old perks: gym discounts, meditation apps, an extra day off. All while work itself remains exhausting.Leaders, you need to wake up!Only 20% of employees are thriving.More than 60% report daily stress.And the economic cost of poor workplace well-being is an estimated $12 trillion.It’s time to fix the way we work.It’s easy to slap “well-being” on a poster. Harder to design work that doesn’t drain people in the first place. In this special solo episode of Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari, Founder and CEO of Happiness Squad, explores why flourishing at work must be a strategic imperative for leaders and organizations. Drawing on decades of research and lived experience, Ashish makes a clear case for why organizations that invest in well-being don’t just support their people, they outperform the rest. Things you will also learn in this episode:• A 5-question diagnostic to assess if you're truly flourishing at work• How traditional wellness programs fall short—and what to do instead• Why organizations must move from treating symptoms to redesigning work• The science-backed PEARL model and Human Potential Index for building resilient, high-performing teams• A practical playbook for implementing flourishing as a scalable organizational strategyFlourishing isn’t reserved for top performers or well-funded companies. It’s a way of working, and leading, that any team and leader can choose.Tune in now to discover how to unlock workplace flourishing, not just for the bottom line, but for the people who make it possible.Resources: • Pioneering work on the economics of happiness and wellbeing by Jan‑Emmanuel De Neve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV1ks-TLYoMBooks:• Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/gML83VJ • Why Work Wellbeing Matters by Jan-Emmanuel: https://a.co/d/aQdXmE3 • Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power That Elevates People and Organizations by Jane Dutton and Monica Worline: https://a.co/d/3onS12d • Connect by Carole Robin: https://a.co/d/gKFbtgH • How Will You Measure Your Life by Clay Christensen: https://a.co/d/1zN1vCt • The Win-Win Workplace by Dr. Angela Jackson

If a factory machine breaks, leadership responds within hours. If a system glitch halts production, it’s triaged immediately.But when a team’s morale is tanking, the response takes 6–12 months—if it comes at all. How did we get to a point where our physical assets get more respect than our human ones? We've spent years treating burnout like a solo thing to fix when it’s actually an organizational problem.In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Jennifer Moss tackle this problem head on, and discuss what it truly takes to build happy, healthy organizations.Jennifer Moss is an award-winning journalist, international speaker, and workplace culture strategist. She co-founded Plasticity Labs and is the author of Why Are We Here?, and The Burnout Epidemic (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021), which was named one of the 10 Best New Management Books by Thinkers50 and shortlisted for the 2021 OWL Literary Award. A regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, and Fortune, she’s renowned for reframing burnout as an organizational rather than individual issue.In the conversation, Ashish and Jennifer unpack the evolution of happiness at work, from early “choose happiness” mantras to a more nuanced understanding of systemic well-being.Things you will also learn from the episode:• Rethinking the phrase “Happiness is a Choice”• How both individual practices and organizational design influence happiness• The problem of blaming individuals for burnout instead of fixing workplace environments• Understanding the concept of the “continuum of well-being”• The Role of AI in Happiness and the Future of WorkStop waiting for the next annual survey. Start investing like your people matter, because they do.Resources: ✅• Jennifer Moss’ website: http://www.jennifer-moss.com/ • Burnout Is About Your Workplace, Not Your People (article by Jennifer Moss): https://www.jennifer-moss.com/writing/burnout-is-about-your-workplace-not-your-people • Mercer Trends study: https://www.mercer.com/en-ca/insights/people-strategy/future-of-work/four-day-workweek-the-cure-for-burnout/#:~:text=If%20you%20feel%20exhausted%2C%20you,industries%2C%20making%20work%20more%20intense. • Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory Of Motivation-Hygiene: https://www.simplypsychology.org/herzbergs-two-factor-theory.html • World Happiness Report: The Lost Wallets Experiment: https://worldhappiness.report/news/world-happiness-report-2025-people-are-much-kinder-than-we-expect-research-shows/ Books: ✅• The Burnout Epidemic by Jennifer Moss: https://a.co/d/bVuMU9G • Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants by Jennifer Moss: https://a.co/d/1spyHXX • Unlocking Happiness at Work: How a Data-driven Happiness Strategy Fuels Purpose, Passion and Performance: https://a.co/d/j57U6X5 • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/hsJLwcv

When an organization is trapped in survival mode, it doesn’t just face external pressure. It suffers an internal collapse of energy, creativity, and coherence. Chronic stress becomes the culture, innovation dries up, and people burn out trying to keep the lights on. But just as individuals can heal from trauma, so can organizations, if leaders are willing to shift from constant doing to conscious being. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Mieke Jacobs explore how energy mastery and systemic intelligence can help leaders break free from the freeze response, reconnect to purpose, and restore wholeness to their teams and systems, unlocking the kind of flourishing that outlasts any crisis.Mieke Jacobs is a Belgium-based leadership advisor serving as Transformational Faculty and Senior Executive Coach at Mobius Executive Leadership. Drawing on two decades at DuPont in operations and large-scale change, she now guides executive teams worldwide with systemic intelligence and energy mastery. Mieke is also the author of Poet Assassin and co-author of Emergent: The Power of Systemic Intelligence to Navigate the Complexity of M&A.This episode is your invitation to lead differently by slowing down, tuning in, and trusting that wisdom lives not in doing more, but in being fully present.Things you will learn in this episode:• What happens when leaders create space for silence and stillness• Practical energy mastery tools for leaders and facilitators• Why systemic intelligence is essential for modern leadership• Rituals to shift team energy—songs, silence, and charged fields• How to spot invisible dysfunctions hidden in your company’s “order”• Ways to create workplaces that energize rather than depleteStop chasing productivity and start leading with presence, energy, and wholeness. Take a pause and check out this episode.Resources:• On Children (Poem) by Khalil Gibran: https://poets.org/poem/children-1 • ‘Stop Treating Well-being as a Side Hustle’ with Ashish Kothari: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij4WcZWFMTg Books:• Poet Assassin by Mieke Jacobs: https://amzn.eu/d/aPfsENl • Emergent by Mieke Jacobs: https://amzn.eu/d/1To2DOK • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://amzn.eu/d/1To2DOKBooks mentioned:• The Prophet by Khalil Gibran: https://a.co/d/3pPl6Ea • Hiring the Heavens by Jean Slatter: https://a.co/d/4waFDhI • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk: https://a.co/d/4oRfck8

The happiness we used to know was like a reward, something that shows up once life finally goes our way. But what if that moment never comes? What if life hands you unimaginable loss instead, and you're left trying to piece together who you are and what comes next? The truth is, happiness isn’t a finish line. It’s a conscious choice, and a lifelong practice. And no one embodies that truth more powerfully than Karen Guggenheim.Karen Guggenheim is the founder and CEO of WOHASU®, the organization behind the World Happiness Summit. A leading voice in global well-being, she is recognized for turning personal adversity into a powerful mission: helping individuals and organizations thrive through science-based strategies for happiness. Most recently, Karen led the expansion of WOHASU to the United Nations and global cities, advancing the conversation on mental health and well-being at the highest levels. Karen is the author of Cultivating Happiness: Overcome trauma and positively transform your life.In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Karen Guggenheim, explore what it means to treat happiness not as a fleeting emotion, but as a conscious, lifelong practice.Things you will also learn in this episode:• Defining happiness as a framework, not a feeling• The misunderstood nature of happiness• The urgent need for systemic change in how we lead, work, and educate• Why forgiveness is the most challenging but transformational pillar of personal growth• What every leader, parent, and teacher needs to hear about happinessThis episode will remind you that happiness is not something you wait for, but something you build, even in the aftermath of heartbreak. Give it a listen, and you’ll never think about happiness the same way again.Resources:• Karen Guggenheim: http://karenguggenheim.com/ • World Happiness Summit: https://worldhappinesssummit.com/• Wellbeing Leadership Certification by World Happiness Summit: https://worldhappinesssummit.com/wellbeing-leadership-certification/ • World Wellbeing Policy Forum: https://wohasu.com/portfolio/world-wellbeing-policy-forum/ • Conscious Entrepreneur Summit: https://events.humanitix.com/2025-conscious-entrepreneur-summit • The Bridge to Happiness by Karen Guggenheim at TEDxMiami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcgJo9IGxxk • World Happiness Summit on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mbWbPUjzHCVQ0iU3rmCsQ • Dr. Fred Luskin - Forgiveness and Happiness from WOHASU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaklxaKGWNU&pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD • Truth and Reconciliation Commission with Desmond Tutu: https://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories-library/desmond-tutu/ Books:• Cultivating Happiness by Karen Guggenheim: https://amzn.eu/d/hla8Eey • The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu: https://a.co/d/0GYRdSx • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari:https://amzn.eu/d/1ZdsT4g

We often treat money as the finish line. We chase it, measure ourselves by it, and let it shape our choices. But in doing so, we lose sight of the real question: What are we trading our money for—and is it making us truly flourish?As we live in a world that often celebrates achievement, it's easy to build wealth while unintentionally bankrupting other parts of our lives, such as our time, our energy, and our relationships. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Tom Shepard to unpack the frameworks and habits that can transform how you relate to money, not just to grow your wealth, but to help you flourish.Tom Shepard is the Founder and CEO of Shepard Financial and author of Money Isn’t Everything, Everything Is Money. With over two decades of experience, Tom brings a human-centered approach to financial planning, helping individuals align their money with what truly matters. His book introduces the Seven Financial Natures framework—a practical guide to transforming your relationship with money by valuing not just wealth, but also time, energy, and connection.Many of us follow money patterns inherited from the past, without ever pausing to ask if they align with the future we hope to create. That's why even though we live a life that looks "successful," it doesn't really feel fulfilling.Today, you can change that. Tune in to learn how to stop letting money control your story, and start using it to write a more fulfilling one.Resources:• Money Isn’t Everything, Everything Is Money: https://tomshepardeverythingismoney.com • Shepard Financial’s website: https://www.shepard-financial.com• Currency Camp: https://www.currencycamp.com/ Books:• Money Isn't Everything, Everything Is Money: A Personalized Approach to Valuing and Trading Time, Energy, Relationships and Money by Tom Shepard : https://a.co/d/h69psqf • The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks: https://a.co/d/5FBeEpE • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/8Lj9uZy