Today’s guest believes that no matter what obstacles we face, what burdens we bear, what trials we’ve experienced, we can all be content with our present situation and optimistic about the future.

He is Chief Business Officer at Google’s [X], an elite team of engineers that comprise Google’s futuristic “dream factory.” In 2001, he realized that despite his incredible success, he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would. Starting with his understanding of how the brain takes in and processes joy and sadness, he applied his superior skills of logic and problem solving to the issue of happiness. The result: he discovered the equation for permanent happiness.

He shares his algorithm in his book Solve for Happy, where he questions some of the most fundamental aspects of our existence, shares the underlying reasons for suffering, and plots out a step-by-step process for achieving lifelong happiness and enduring contentment.

Please join me in welcoming Mo Gawdat.

In this episode we explore:

• how he defines leadership: “Leadership is to be aligned with the value system and the destination of those you lead.”
• the need to be adaptive and adjust our style of leadership depending on the situation
• his view of success isn’t measured by Silicon Valley expectations: “What you really need to enjoy life is to be aligned somehow with that core inside you that keeps telling you every morning, “I should be doing this, because this is what I believe in, this is how I see the world, and how I see the world should become.”
• how he and his family dealt with the death of his son “with flying colors” by using his “Solve for Happy” formula
• the importance of being present and meditating on everything, “…because presence truly is the most powerful tool we have as executives and leaders.”

Listen, subscribe, and read show notes at www.OntheSchmooze.com – episode 57.