(Written for a Bahrain based Newspaper)

Senior executives in Europe are not happy with their lives, according to recent research. When asked to rate their quality of life the average score given by successful managers was lower than the corresponding rating given by people who were suffering from serious illness. Isn’t that incredible? Isn’t it sad? I wonder what would be the results of a similar study conducted here in the Gulf. Managers and executives here in Bahrain and throughout the Gulf can match their European and worldwide counterparts under a wide range of criteria “ but this is one metric that should not receive a similar score.

The successful Gulf Executive (like his European counterpart) has high stress levels to deal with the market place is increasingly competitive  demands of shareholders higher than ever so also the expectations of employees  and some of them would probably like to see and spend some time with their wives/husbands/partners and children. How well they cope with these demands can vary dramatically and many executives take a lot of these issues for granted.

Happiness; it is a fascinating yet enigmatic concept. After many years focusing on the more negative aspects of life the psychologists have lately turned their attention and study to happiness; who is happy, why, and what we can learn from them. There are league tables now that compare the happiness levels of different nationalities  high up that scale are the Danes and the Swiss while at the other end rest Zimbabwe and Burundi One surprisingly simple differentiator they found is we can boost our happiness by taking care of our health that would include both physical and emotional health.

Wasn’t it Napoleon who said he would prefer a lucky general to a good one? What does the issue of luck have to do with happiness, effectiveness and success? Quite a lot as it happens. Research has shown that we can have impact on our own levels of luck. It seems a contradiction  surely luck is a true external. Not so, it appears. It is closely connected to how we think and feel. Lucky people realise that and utilise strategies to ‘generate’ yet more good luck. A simple step is to be open to opportunities be observant; keep your eyes and ears open. How important that might be for our executives and managers. I would prefer to have a lucky CEO run my company wouldn’t you?

If we want to be effective, successful and lucky as managers and executives we have to be aware of the broader picture; how we lead and manage at work cannot be separated from our personal lives. Strategic planning and balanced scorecards are not just for the executive boardroom. I don’t care if you are very wealthy and your company has just announced another record year if you are going through your third divorce, or you feel alienated from those you love then you cannot describe your life as a success.