Retention tells you someone didn’t quit. StayPower™ tells you why they’re still here, fired up and building the future with you. And that difference? It has a massive return on investment.

Retention is just a polite word for fear. Fear of losing people. Fear of empty seats. Fear of admitting your workplace isn’t somewhere worth staying.

For decades, companies have obsessed over retention. HR decks are filled with charts about turnover, tenure and attrition rates. And yet, nobody wakes up excited to be "retained."

This country doesn’t actually reward well-being. It rewards overwork. It rewards appearance over alignment. It rewards achievement, even when it costs us everything that makes life worth living.

America is running on fumes. We’re burned out, stretched thin and quietly wondering if this is just how life is now. Spoiler: it’s not supposed to be this way.

Happiness is a leadership strategy. And a damn smart one at that.

Forget what they told you in that corporate training. You don’t need to be more polished. More buttoned up. More “executive presence.”

You need to be more you.

Toxic loyalty feels safer than starting over. Because performative perks are easier to point to than actual well-being. Because we’ve normalized manipulation in the name of retention.

When Happy Leaders walk in the room, they don’t shift the mood—they set the tone. And that tone says: We’re here to do meaningful work. Together. Without the extra noise.

Productivity without well-being isn’t progress—it’s just survival. And Happy Leaders don’t settle for survival. They build something better.

A growing body of research confirms that the glorification of nonstop hustle is doing real damage. This is about misaligned priorities and leadership that hasn’t evolved.

When you lead with happiness, connection and intention—you unlock the best in others. When you lead with exhaustion, fear and scarcity—you drain it.

1 in 5 young adults say they have no one to count on. That’s a 39% increase since 2006. It’s sobering—but not surprising.

The World Happiness Report 2025 dropped. And while the findings are sobering—especially for the U.S.—they also give us a clear opportunity to reset. To recommit. To reimagine what it means to lead and live with happiness at the center.

The World Happiness Report has shown us, year after year, that the happiest countries are also the most economically stable, innovative and socially connected. The research is clear on this—when well-being is prioritized, success follows. The same is true for businesses.

As leaders, every message we send—whether it’s in a team meeting, an email or a one-on-one conversation—either fuels engagement or drains it. And in a world where only 23% of employees report feeling engaged at work, we can’t afford to communicate on autopilot.

A Happy Leader isn’t someone who’s always smiling or never faces challenges. It’s someone who chooses happiness as a leadership strategy—not as an afterthought, but as a foundation for success.

DEI—by name or not—is about our shared humanity. And no one can legislate away our ability to lead with empathy, to create space for others and to design a world that works for all of us.

Building a community of peers, mentors and collaborators—a team beyond your immediate team—can be the difference between burnout and thriving. It’s about surrounding yourself with people who challenge you, inspire you and help you grow into the leader you’re striving to be.

Happiness isn’t something to squeeze into the margins of your life. It’s the foundation of everything you do. And when you prioritize your happiness and well-being, you show up more focused, energized and engaged. And that benefits everyone around you.