Happiness Makes Money: The Real Secret to Employee Engagement with Scott Friedman & Paul ter Wal
About this episode
This episode discusses the importance of happiness in employee engagement and modern leadership techniques.
Is your leadership style costing you a fortune? In this high-energy episode from the archive, Andy Lopata revisits a global conversation with employee engagement specialists Scott Friedman and Paul ter Wal. They challenge the outdated "command and control" hierarchy, replacing it with a radical yet profitable philosophy: Happiness makes money. Engagement isn't just a corporate program or a ping-pong table in the breakroom—it is a two-way street built on a foundation of absolute trust. You’ll hear Scott share a powerful technique for setting the intention from day one by asking new hires to agree that this will be the “best job they’ve ever had.” Meanwhile, Paul breaks down why leaders should stop standing on top of their teams and start standing behind them. From the "I Test" of inclusive language, to the scientific reason you should never lead more than 20 people if you actually want to listen, this episode is a masterclass in modern leadership. Discover how to turn "quiet quitting" into high-performance engagement by shifting your mindset from controlling behavior to facilitating success. What You Will Learn in this episode: The "Best Job Ever" Contract: What is the specific…
People in this episode
Host: Andy Lopata
Guests: Scott Friedman, Paul ter Wal
Topics covered
- employee engagement
- leadership
- happiness in the workplace
- team dynamics
- modern leadership
Keywords
- employee engagement
- leadership style
- happiness makes money
- best job ever
- 20-person rule
More episodes of The Connected Leadership Podcast
- How to Lead When the Rules Keep Changing with Nikki Bush
- Mastering Your Emotional Responses with Vicky O'Farrell
- The Secret to Leading Under Pressure with Martin Laschkolnig
- Connecting With Authenticity with Roxanne Derhodge
- Are You Running on Empty? Navigating the Burnout Trap Dr. Amy Bradley and Dr. Katherine Semler
- From Full-Time to Fulfilled: The Secret to Jumping Ship with Matt Crabtree
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Connected Leadership Podcast podcast page.