Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear

by Richard Sheridan, Tom Peters (Foreword)

A 2018 Nautilus Book Award Winner for Business and Leadership!The founder of Menlo Innovations and author of the business culture cult classic Joy, Inc offers an inspirational guide to leaders seeking joy in the challenge of leading others.Rich Sheridan's Joy, Inc. told the story of how his tiny software company in Ann Arbor, Michigan achieved success and renown by embracing offbeat culture and human-centered values. In Chief Joy Officer, he turns his attention from culture to leadership, and draws on his experience running Menlo and consulting elsewhere to offer a wise, provocative guide on how anyone can build leadership capacity for joy within their own organization. Chief Joy Officer offers sage, hard-won advice to any manager or leader who yearns to make more of an impact on the lives of others,   *  Self-understanding is the cornerstone for every virtue of authenticity, trust, humility, and optimism.  *  Good leaders make more Learn to judge your performance not on whether people are doing what they're told, but whether they're developing independent leadership capacity.  *  Influencing up is just as important is influencing how to encourage different thinking in those above you in your organizations.Filled with colorful anecdotes from Sheridan's personal journey and wisdom from many leadership mentors, Chief Joy Officer offers an approachable, down-to-earth philosophy and practice that will help even the most disillusioned of middle managers bring a renewed sense of purpose to their work building others.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Management, Self Help, Cultural, Personal Development

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2018

Reviews

[Kat Drennan-Scace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit I'm not used to reading non-fiction so this took me a little while to get through. I found some of the stories interesting, but a lot of them were more applicable to corporate environments. Some of the good takeaways were: creating an environment of optimism, the importance storytelling and creating an environment of ongoing learning. It also emphasized servant leadership and what that looks like.
Overall, a pretty good read.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Ok, yes, I picked it bc of the title and the colorful cover. I mean who better to be the CJO than one whose name is Joy? I knew nothing about the prior book nor the author’s company.

At first this book seemed like just so much common sense. But it was all really practical and there were things I hadn’t thought of. If you’ve struggled with how to bring joy to the office, here’s a list of things to try.

[Oz Paszkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful read. I'm hoping to move up in my career and wanted to read about leadership, but I didn't want to read just anything, I wanted to know how to bring joy to the team and to work, this was a great read. If anything, I'd like more concrete examples of how to do the hard work of addressing my faults when it comes to leadership, but this is the perfect start. Sheridan offers awesome resources, books, and authors for further research. I feel more prepared to start this journey into leadership.

[Teri Temme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting a long time for proof that what I read in Fast Company is possible! What an incredible find. I am over-joyed to see that the things I've always wanted to see in an organization works. I can't tell you how much this means to me.

A completely enjoyable read, you will be inspired and motivated! Guaranteed.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was particularly fun to read since the author's business of which he talks is located in Ann Arbor, MI. Could this be done anywhere other than Ann Arbor? Possibly not.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommended this book in an interview before I finished it. It’s that good pals

[Rodrigo Isunza]

Que gran libro acerca un gran ejemplo de como ponerse realmente los pantalones y enfrentar a la corriente. Crear cultura no es facial, mucho menos como dice Richard Sheridan en un mundo donde el estatus quo es a través del miedo. La belleza de este libro también podría decir, que es que no te lo da picado y en la boca, si no que te deja descubrir ese camino tuyo y propio de tu equipo a través de una guía comprensible sobre cuales deberían de ser los pilares de tu transformación, los sistemas.

[Marc Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard is a man on a mission to bring joyful leadership to organisations worldwide. He is inspiring readers with his unique insight on why joy in an organisation is not just possible but essential: essential to profitability, to productivity, to every measure of success. Richard is such a wonderful and inspiring person. I was very happy to learn from his insights and speak with him on my podcast Inside Ideas. To see the video-podcast episode 55 click and subscribe here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLV7x...
Or check out the links below:
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/why-joy...
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/inside-...
https://medium.com/inside-ideas/richa...

[Alex Freemon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decidedly mediocre. Lots of feel good Kool aid stuff, little substance. Basically, treat people like people.

Some good nuggets tucked away, but not worth the time to read it you have anything else you want to read instead

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars but I decided to round up this time partly because I am so happy leaders like this exist and I want to encourage these types of books to be written more and more and I want other leaders to take their cues from this type of advice and leadership.

I'll start with what I liked: I liked all the examples of how the author's company works and how much time and effort and, most importantly, thoughtfulness they've put into the process of making decisions that serve their purpose around creating a more joyful and collaborative company. It sounds like it's clearly a wonderful place to work and I have subscribed to their newsletters and earmarked it as a place I'd love to go visit when/if I make it to Michigan (which I am decidedly likely to in the next 3 years.) I am a firm believer that such environments don't happen magically. It takes a lot of effort, dedication and intentionality.

Now, the part I wish there was more of was specific to me. I work at a large company and I run operations for a reasonably large organization where I was hoping I could take away some tangible, interesting ideas from the book and start recommending that we implement them (or at least experimenting with them) in my organization. Alas, with the exception of one small idea, I didn't walk away with anything else. Partly because some of his suggestions are things I am already working on and partly because it was hard for me to envision how to integrate some of his other ideas into our organization. But this is not to say there are no ideas in the book, just not a major aha! moment for me.

All in all, it was a worthwhile read and I am looking forward to tracking the company for a little while through their newsletters and seeing if I get some gems there. And super grateful companies like this exist.

[Gary Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice follow-on to the author's first book, Joy Inc.

There is a good amount of repeated material in here, especially since I ready Joy Inc. fairly recently. However, there are some good nuggets that I took out of Chief Joy Officer.

The most interesting points in the book to me were:

- Guiding principles can improve the speed of decision making by reducing the need to check in with others

- The concept of positive stability, originally used in airplane design, as applied to organizational design

- The focus on team-based performance rather than individual performance

- The way Menlo evenly splits its profit-sharing plan, regardless of one's position in the company - that's really putting your money where mouth is in terms of organizational culture and principles

- The mention of Rollo May's quote, "The opposite of courage is not cowardice, but conformity."

- The thing that stands out about Menlo Innovations above all is the intentionality of their culture and how the systems they put in place reinforce that culture.

Definitely recommend reading the book and then paying either a virtual or physical visit to Menlo Innovations to see how everything comes together!

[Joy Matteson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is it so difficult to find joy in one’s work? Often one assumes more power and control will bring the happiness one seeks. Not so, declares Richard Sheridan, author and business owner of Menlo Innovations. Sheridan finds the vulnerability and humanity in the workplace to be the joy giver in any given business initiative, starting with the leadership team. Sheridan recognizes that a joy filled business means each person at every rung of the corporate ladder owns their own passion, creativity, and leadership qualities, and a great leadership team recognizes those skills and highlights them. Sheridan narrates his own audiobook with a confident baritone that recounts delightful stories of how he came to discover joy after years slogging through his work. His matter of fact tones give credence to how simple creating joy can be in a workplace--even by simply gaining the trust of clients and coworkers to serve others. His wry smile as he recounts difficulties overcome with his team he clearly cherishes is often overheard. A perfect audio to absorb during one’s commute that’s feeling stagnant and joyless.

[Ryan Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't want more Joy in their life, relationships, and job? Or course we all do. However, most of us likely haven't put time into planning our role in creating such joy, as we often resign ourselves to dealing with the situations life provides. Yet, what if there was another way? What if we could take control and make our lives, especially at work, as joyful as we desire. What if we were actually in charge of the situation.

Rich Sheridan explaines in this book that we are in control of this situation, no matter where our picture is drawn in the company org chart, from CEO to fresh graduate. You can create joy and make your company and life the best they can be. If that sounds interesting to you, then read this book.

Even if you don't buy into Rich's exact vision of good culture, hopefully you can draw from his experience and storytelling approach to intentionally craft a culture at your company that you can stand behind.

Note: I have both first hand, and second hand, experience with Menlo and he's not making this up. If you're in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area, go check out a tour.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered this book through my friend Heidi who is always a shining light when it comes to community building and social advocacy. This is a wonderful book to encourage and inspire bringing joy to company culture with tips on being a compassionate leader. Richard Sheridan presents a great case study using his personal leadership experience at Menlo, the company which he co-founded.

This book was written pre-Covid, and while I think a lot of the leadership ideas in this book still work in 2025, I wonder how/if Sheridan thinks about any of this differently. For example, allowing parents (let's be honest, moms) to bring babies to work as an alternative to finding childcare when one is out of options is applaudable, but even better would be advocating for and offering better parental leave benefits. Not everything shared in this book will be applicable to most companies; still, it's a worthwhile read for anyone looking for inspiration on how to be a better leader.

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Menolians (Sheridan’s term, not mine) have an unusual work environment that they want other organizations to give a try. They have a growth mindset, purpose, vision, a mission, a plan for the future, and exceptionally good culture. From five hundred feet-up, they are trying something probably most companies, non-profits, and government agencies wont (or cannot) do, share leadership and decision-making in all aspects of operations to make it happen. I heard Mr. Sheridan's ideas on HBR Ideacast and thought he might have a novel perspective about joy at work. I didn't expect so much idealism. Frankly, it will take some time for this idea to work its way into most systems operating today. The book itself is a little weak in story-telling but I give it three stars for having change agent quality. Keep the faith. Changes happens slowly.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been adding more “business” books to my reading lately because I want to provide good recommendations to those in my company, and I picked up this book because of the striking title and cover. I enjoyed parts of this book, and other parts didn’t hit home/connect as much for me. With this type of book, I think that’s to be expected, and an indicator that not every company nor leader is (nor should be) the exact same. Richard Sheridan co-founded a technology company in Ann Arbor that has successfully adopted a culture of joy, feedback, continuous learning, goal setting, communication, etc. This book was written prepandemic so it also includes a commitment to in-person work that may no longer be the case for his company, and certainly isn’t the case for my company which is 100% remote.

A very solid book for a leadership/management company library.

[Thejas Suvarna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed hearing about such an unconventional business that reminds me a lot of my own company. This idea of employee empowerment, autonomy, ownership, a tendency of action and experimentation, all create highly effective organizations where people WANT to work and get things done. They feel aligned with the goals and missions of the people around them and responsible for the outcomes that occur.

This book is a guide for how to create a culture that enables positivity to drive people in business.

[Andreas Konstantinou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chief Joy Officer is the second book by Sheridan, where he describes the qualities of leader - embracing vulnerability, becoming more self-aware of how you communicate, loving to serve people, and how to lead but not manage. Sheridan has built perhaps the most innovative software company when it comes to culture, and the book has many fascinating stories - for example hiring without a CV, looking for “kindergarten” skills (does the candidate play well with others?), and running an organisation without managers. A true pioneer.

[W.L. Bolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this is important book, especially for management, but I think everyone could gain something by reading this book, no matter their position with a company. Business culture in the US needs to change, and this is a good start with a number of success stories and easy to follow instructions on how to open up business cultures to be more human-centered and flexible.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because of an HBR podcast that I heard by the author. I liked the book but I think you can get the same information by reading some of his blogs or simply listening to the podcast. I linked it here: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/hbr-id...

[Michelle Jerome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed the concepts and enthusiasm. It is true we all want to feel valued, respected and that what we do matters. This book shares ideas how to accomplish that in the workplace, but it honestly can be accomplished with anyone you meet.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A great and radical leadership perspective that is needed. A lot to learn, take away, and apply to my next opportunity to manage and it is a book, I intend to back to time and again. Thanks to the folks at Menlo Technologies and Richard Sheridan for writing it!

[Tegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“As you consider your next steps on a joyful leadership journey and how you can both be inspired and be an inspiration to others, ask yourself whom you serve and what great and joyful service looks like for them.”

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard an interview with Richard Sheridan on a podcast and that is how I learned about his book and was enthusiastic to read it. Leading with authenticity, trust, humility, and optimism wins over leading with fear. I enjoyed Richard's stories and examples. It was a quick read.

[Kristine Sirnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Everything resonated, and I can't wait to read his earlier book, Joy Inc.

[Megan Evert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, lots of great stories and advice. I love the list of recommended reading.

[Tyler Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done all around. Drags minimally. Mixes anecdotes with theory

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book much more than I expected. A lot of leadership just comes down to being honest - how you behave affects those around you. Leaders who elevate themselves, lead better teams.

[Monet Herrscher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different way of doing business.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so rich that every time I picked it up I also picked up my notebook and pen. Highly recommend this for people leaders.