Adapted from Courtney E. Ackerman’s article about flourishing on PositivePsychology.com

Flourishing is one of the most important and promising topics studied in positive psychology. Not only does it relate to many other positive concepts, it holds the key to improving the quality of life for people around the world. Discovering the pieces to the flourishing puzzle and learning how to effectively apply research findings to real life has tremendous implications for the way we live, love, and relate to one another.

Flourishing moves beyond the confines of simple happiness or well-being; it encompasses a wide range of positive psychological constructs and offers a more holistic perspective on what it means to feel well and happy.

Great leaders are intentional about providing the following nourishments to foster an environment in which their teams are better able to flourish:

• Expand and enhance social support systems. They help team members make new friends and deepen existing relationships within the team.
• Provide opportunities to experience the good in life. Plan fun, exciting, meaningful, and fulfilling events for your team. Set goals for reaching milestones and savor the experience when you achieve those milestones.
• Focus on having more fun! Schedule opportunities to simply enjoy life’s pleasures once in a while. Plan a trip, go out for a nice dinner, or book a fun activity for the team. Do whatever it takes to smile more, laugh more, and enjoy each other more.
• Enhance a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Agree on what you value most and commit to keeping these values in focus as you work, learn, love, and live. Do things that are fulfilling. Make sure you are living a life that is authentic to your values.

In addition, there are five general qualities that great leaders are diligent to develop in the work environment of their teams:

• The ability to direct and re-direct attention.

Just as we must carefully manage our time and our financial resources, we should also carefully manage our attention. Attention that is focused towards worrying, fretting, anger, revenge, and sadness is generally wasted attention; instead, focus your attention on analysis, imagination, investigation, compassion, and growth.

• The ability to shape time with intention and for impact.

We all have to deal with constraints and barriers due to lack of time, but we don’t have to throw our hands into the air and admit defeat; instead, we can consciously choose to apply our time wisely and avoid wasting it on activities that do not bring us joy or move us closer to our goals.

• The practice of constant improvement.

Those who flourish do so not because they are “natural flourishers” but because they are constantly finding ways to improve, develop, and grow. They do not settle for the status quo; they find out what they need to know and what they need to do to and work hard to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to get them where they want to go.

• The ability to communicate and listen to others.

Soliciting feedback from others is vital to just about every human endeavor, and flourishing is no different. It’s tough to evaluate ourselves, so we should consider ourselves lucky for every single person who is willing to provide honest information on ourselves and our efforts. Those who flourish do so, in part, because they are willing to listen to others, learn from them, and take advice.

• The commitment to positive experiences.

If we want to flourish, we must open ourselves up to experiencing all the good that life has to offer. We must commit to experiencing joy and delight, to finding meaning and purpose, and to offering ourselves what we need to remain healthy and happy. 

The great thing about creating a nourishing environment is that it not only allows the team to flourish, but the leader as well.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.