The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life

by Shawn Achor

expressions of gratitude at work have been proven to strengthen both personal and professional bonds.

gratitude can fuel your own identity as a “glue guy.”

But, what got you here won't get you to the next level...

In fact, studies have shown that when three strangers meet in a room, the most emotionally expressive person transmits his or her mood to the others within just two minutes.

overt negativity can infect a group of people almost instantly.

Daniel Goleman couldn’t have said it better: “Like secondhand smoke, the leakage of emotions can make a bystander an innocent casualty of someone else’s toxic state.”

(Scientists call this the facial feedback hypothesis, and it is the basis of the recommendation “fake it till you make it.” While authentic positivity will always trump its faux counterpart, there is significant evidence that changing your behavior first—even your facial expression and posture—can dictate emotional change.)