A lesson on creating happiness from Harvard Business School

by B. Dan Berger, Berger Leadership Blog

A friend and fellow classmate of mine from Harvard, Donald Tighe, sent me this thought-provoking article from the Wall Street Journal on how Harvard’s Business School and other leading Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs are inspiring their students and graduates to find happiness in their daily lives and careers.

When most people think of business school, they usually think of taking courses on the more “traditional” corporate topics: financial modeling, data analytics, digital transformation, etc. However, according to Lindsay Ellis, the author of the piece, courses on happiness, relationships, and balance are among the most in-demand courses at top MBA programs. This popularity is attributed to students’ desire for a balanced life distanced from a world of instant-gratification, while developing their skills to become better managers and bosses in their careers.

Ellis gives examples of a few popular “happiness courses” offered at the country’s top schools, including:

  • Dr. Arthur Brooks’ “Leadership and Happiness” course at Harvard, which helps students learn to cultivate their teams’ happiness in addition to their own;

 

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