Happy Hustling Everyone
People used to believe that you didn’t have to be happy at work to succeed. And you didn’t need to like the people you work with, or even share their values. “Work is not personal,” was the thinking.
Extensive research proves quite the opposite. Happy people are better workers. Those who are engaged with their jobs, colleagues and clients work harder — and smarter.
We have asked Juliana Sawaia, True & North facilitator and happiness at work consultant to share her approach to happiness at work, particularly for those in business development roles.
T&N: Juliana, is happiness at work a myth, the holy grail or a realistic objective we should all aim for?
Juliana: Happiness at work is neither a myth nor an unattainable “holy grail”; it is a realistic and strategic objective that should be systematically cultivated as the heart of organizational culture. From a scientific perspective, happiness is deeply connected to factors such as psychological safety, meaningful work, and transformational leadership — each of which directly impacts individual and organizational performance.
Research in the field demonstrates that when employees experience happiness and well-being, they are more engaged, creative, satisfied, productive and aligned with the company’s mission.
Companies that invest in creating an environment where employees thrive report higher levels of employee retention, innovation, and, ultimately, sustainable revenue growth.
Happiness at work, therefore, is not just a “nice-to-have” but a powerful business tool. It fosters talent development by allowing individuals to bring their full potential to their roles, cultivating a culture of trust and shared purpose. By embedding happiness into business strategy — using the right metrics — it is possible to achieve both people development and long-term sustainable success.
T&N: You must have met some (hopefully many) happy leaders in your career. What are the common traits or behaviours you noticed in them?
Juliana:
In my experience, truly happy leaders often embody “transformational leadership”, which allows them to inspire and elevate their teams toward a shared vision while maintaining personal fulfilment. The common traits and behaviours I’ve noticed among these leaders include:
1. Visionary Thinking: These leaders have a long-term, purpose-driven vision that motivates both themselves and their teams, creating alignment and shared goals.
2. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: They understand and connect emotionally with their teams, fostering psychological safety and building trust through strong relationships.
3. Inspirational Motivation: These leaders inspire with optimism and positive reinforcement, creating resilience and a sense of accomplishment in their teams.
4. Personal Growth and Development Focus: They emphasize continuous learning and encourage team members to reach their potential, enhancing overall fulfilment and progress.
5. Authenticity and Integrity: Leading with integrity and authenticity, these leaders build trust and foster transparency by aligning their actions with their core values.
6. Empowerment and Trust: By trusting their teams and granting autonomy, they encourage ownership and creative problem-solving, boosting engagement and satisfaction.
T&N: And what about people responsible for revenues? The core of their role is high-pressure and demanding clients. Is happiness at work a possibility for them?
Juliana: Happiness and fulfilment are possible even in high-pressure environments. However, the key distinction lies between an “intense” environment and a “toxic” one.
An intense environment can be fast-paced and demanding but still supportive, where high expectations are paired with the right resources, leadership, and psychological safety. In these settings, people feel challenged yet empowered, which can enhance engagement and fulfilment. Leaders who create psychological safety in such environments ensure their teams can speak up, take risks, and learn from mistakes without fear, turning intensity into growth and development opportunities.
On the other hand, a toxic environment is one where pressure becomes chronic stress, and the lack of support, empathy, and safety leads to burnout and disengagement. Emotional contagion — the phenomenon where emotions spread among people — plays a crucial role here. In a toxic environment, unpleasant emotions like stress and anxiety can quickly spread through the team, impacting performance and morale — especially from leaders to followers. In contrast, positive emotional contagion, fostered by supportive leadership, can lift the entire team’s energy and create a more sustainable work atmosphere.
For those responsible for revenue, where high-pressure and demanding clients are the norm, the presence of psychological safety becomes even more critical. It allows people to navigate challenges with resilience, knowing they have the space to communicate openly, ask for help, and recover from setbacks. When individuals in high-pressure roles feel psychologically safe, they can maintain high performance without sacrificing their well-being.
Even in high-stress roles, happiness and fulfilment are achievable when the environment supports mental health, psychological safety, and a culture of positive emotional contagion. And, in this case, the leaders are the guardians of a healthy team culture.
T&N: At True & North we talk about Empathetic Hustlers, Business Development Experts who invest a lot of time in building their network, collaborating, and connecting with others. They demonstrate high empathy for their clients and prioritise valuable interactions above everything else. Could this also make them happier at work?
Juliana:
Yes, individuals like Empathetic Hustlers and business development experts can indeed experience greater happiness at work, but it’s often a byproduct of deeper fulfilment. When they invest in building strong networks, collaborating, and connecting meaningfully with clients, their happiness stems from several scientifically supported factors.
1. Achievement of Goals: The satisfaction of setting and reaching goals triggers the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine — a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. Studies show that goal achievement provides a sense of progress, which is a key component of fulfilment and, consequently, happiness.
2. Recognition and Satisfaction: When individuals feel recognized for their contributions and deliver quality work, they experience a sense of validation. This validation triggers a release of oxytocin, also known as the “bonding hormone,” which enhances feelings of connection and well-being. Recognition from peers and clients provides a feedback loop that reinforces happiness.
3. Meaningful Connections: Empathy, especially in building relationships with clients and within teams, is crucial for emotional well-being. Research highlights that meaningful relationships at work are one of the strongest predictors of long-term happiness. Emotional contagion also plays a role — positive interactions spread happiness within networks, creating a virtuous cycle of well-being.
4. Psychological Safety and Team Dynamics: In environments where empathy and collaboration are prioritized, psychological safety flourishes. This allows individuals to express themselves, share ideas, and take risks without fear. Research by Google’s Project Aristotle found that psychological safety is the most important factor in high-performing teams, directly contributing to job satisfaction and happiness.
While the pressure to perform and meet targets is high, the emotional satisfaction from achieving goals, being recognized, and nurturing meaningful client relationships fosters a strong sense of fulfilment. It is this fulfilment that serves as the foundation for happiness at work.
T&N: Lastly, what is your advice to organisations? How to foster a happier workplace and enable Emapthethic Hustlers to thrive?
Juliana:
My advice to organizations seeking to foster a happier workplace, especially for professionals like “Empathetic Hustlers,” is to integrate a structured approach that combines common successes with overcoming the frequent errors and challenges found in happiness strategies.
To create a truly fulfilling and high-performing workplace, companies must integrate happiness as a core component of their organizational culture, making it a strategic priority (and KPI) rather than a secondary benefit.
Leaders are not only responsible for driving results but also accountable for promoting and cultivating an environment where happiness naturally emerges from a collective and conscious effort. By aligning happiness with company values and purpose, leaders can create a culture where employees feel their work contributes to something bigger. Continuous recognition strengthens this by reinforcing the sense of accomplishment and value. Building strong relationships, both within teams and with clients, fosters collaboration and emotional satisfaction, which directly influences business success.
Furthermore, psychological safety, as mentioned before, becomes non-negotiable in high-pressure environments, allowing employees to innovate and take risks without fear. Leaders must actively embed well-being practices into the company’s daily operations, ensuring mental health and personal development are prioritized.
When happiness is woven into the fabric of the company and led by accountable leadership, it becomes a powerful driver of sustainable performance and long-term business success.
Juliana is True & North facilitator and happiness consultant from Brazil, bravely combining client-centricity & art of happiness for the best business impact!
Juliana has worked as an executive in the Media business industry for over twenty years, the last five of which were dedicated to Meta. There, she led teams in Measurement, Sales, and Training and development in Latin America.
Juliana is a data scientist who is passionate about the science of happiness applied in the workplace. A few years ago, she transitioned her career to become a happiness researcher and consultant. Her workshops have helped organisations like HEINEKEN, Pinterest, and C&A to leverage happiness as a powerful tool to drive business impact.
