Are Leaders in Charge?

Henry Stewart speaks to the Eth Word about leadership and the concept of being 'in charge' of Happy. "I don’t think about being in charge, I think about trying to inspire people here and elsewhere, and enabling them to be their best," says Henry.

Hi, we are Happy

We are leading a movement to create happy, empowered and productive workplaces.

How can we help you and your people to find joy in at least 80% of your work?

Watch the session below

Read the transcripts

I’m Chief Exec, do I feel in charge? I don’t know [about] a lot of stuff that is going on in the organisation. For me that’s an odd phrase. I don’t think about being in charge, I think about trying to inspire people here and elsewhere, and enabling them to be their best.

It’s interesting because you can’t force it. You can create an environment to make that possible, and it’s almost waiting for people to step up; and when people step up that’s very exciting. But if you tell them that it is their turn to step up then it doesn’t work.

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In this short video, Henry Stewart, founder and Chief Happiness Officer at Happy, speaks to the Eth Word about leadership and encouraging staff to take on more responsibility.

“It’s interesting because you can’t force it. You can create an environment to make that possible, and it’s almost waiting for people to step up; and when people step up that’s very exciting. But if you tell them that it is their turn to step up then it doesn’t work,” says Henry.

How could you encourage your staff to take more responsibility in your organisation?

Support your aspiring and current managers to be empowering and confident leaders with Happy

Happy offers leadership programmes at Level 3, Level 5 and Level 7, from new managers/supervisor level all the way up to senior leadership teams and CEOs. These programmes are based on the ideas of trusting your people. They are practical and based on applying what yo’ve learnt. We aim to inspire and ignite change in your organisation, as well as giving you valuable management skills such as business strategy, decision-making, negotiation and project management.

We also offer programmes tailored specifically to people from Global Majority backgrounds. The content is the same, but have been designed to give new and experienced managers the skills they need to navigate organisational culture with a clearer perspective on their own potential, as well as building their confidence and expanding their professional strengths.

Claire Lickman

Claire is Head of Marketing at Happy. She has worked at Happy since 2016, and is responsible for Happy’s marketing strategy, website, social media and more. Claire first heard about Happy in 2012 when she attended a mix of IT and personal development courses. These courses were life-changing and she has been a fan of Happy ever since. She has a personal blog at lecari.co.uk.

Next Conference: 2025 Happy Workplaces Conference

Our Happy Workplaces Conference is our biggest event of the year, and we’d love for you to join us on Thursday 12th June!

This year’s event will be held in London, venue TBC. We may also offer a hybrid option for people to join us online simultaneously — do let us know if you are interested in joining online and we can add you to the waiting list.

As always, our next conference will be filled with interaction, discussion and space for reflection.

Book now and get our special half-price Early Bird rate — just use discount code Happy2025.