Leadership and Happiness (Virtual Course + In-Person Retreat)

Drawing on his interdisciplinary research on human flourishing, Dr. Arthur Brooks’ course Leadership and Happiness is designed for emerging and current leaders across for-profits, nonprofits, and government. Over eight weeks, students will read and learn the best managerial science, psychology, neuroscience, and ancient philosophy. They will engage in real-time sessions with Dr. Brooks, who will explain this literature for non-experts and show how it is essential knowledge for leaders—and how it can improve work and life for themselves and their employees. Throughout the course, students will learn tactics and strategies to raise their own levels of well-being and life satisfaction. They will also learn how to lead others in ways that increase individual and organizational happiness—both of which are critical for organizational success.

Virtual Modules

Dates:

• Monday, September 28, 2026
• Monday, October 5, 2026
• Monday, October 19, 2026
• Monday, October 26, 2026
• Monday, November 2, 2026
• Monday, November 9, 2026
• Monday, November 16, 2026
• Monday, November 30, 2026

Times:

10 - 11:30 a.m. CT

Module Topics:

• Module 1: Introduction to Leadership & Happiness (what happiness is, what it isn’t, and how to pursue it well across work and life)
• Module 2: What is Unhappiness? (what unhappiness means, and why leaders are susceptible to it)
• Module 3: Romantic Love (how to understand and sustain long-term romantic love, no matter one’s busy professional life)
• Module 4: Family and Friends (why leaders tend to be lonely, and how to prioritize relationships outside of work)
• Module 5: Finding Life’s Meaning (how to grapple with life’s biggest questions)
• Module 6: Your Calling (how to pursue your professional calling—the idea that I am meant to do this job)
• Module 7: Transcendence (the best ways to transcend yourself, via faith, philosophy, or service to others)
• Module 8: Life’s Protocols (how leaders can tangibly use the science to start their day with energy, end their day with rest, prioritize their relationships, and forgo device addiction)

In-Person Retreat

Dates:

• Monday, December 7, 2026
• Tuesday, December 8, 2026
• Wednesday, December 9, 2026

Schedule:

• 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., Breakfast
• 9:30 - 10 a.m., Open
• 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Morning Session
• 12 - 1:30 p.m., Lunch
• 1:30 - 3:30 p.m., Afternoon Session
• 3:30 p.m., End of Day

Location:

West Palm Beach, Florida

Topics:

Day 1: The Science of Emotions (4 hours of instruction)

• Students will come to the session having taken The Happiness Scale, Dr. Brooks’ validated psychometric battery that assesses one’s overall well-being and “Affect Profile” (the extent to which one feels positive and negative emotions across the average day).
• In the sessions, Dr. Brooks will explain the evolutionary biology of emotions, and the best techniques for emotional self-management across work and life.
• In breakout sessions, Dr. Brooks and his research team will explore the group’s data and offer practical takeaways for boosting one’s strengths and managing one’s weaknesses.

Day 2: Worldly Idols (4 hours of instruction)

• The data (and philosophy) show that humans are uniquely tempted by one of four worldly idols: money, power, pleasure, or fame/prestige. When we place these idols as our top priority, we become unhappier.
• Students will come prepared having taken four psychometric batteries, all assessing the extent to which each worldly idol is control of one’s life. This self-knowledge is critical to avoid unintended misery.
• In the sessions, Dr. Brooks will explain how leaders can pursue the world’s rewards as a proxy for the good of themselves and their families.

Day 3: The Next 80 Years (4 hours of instruction)

• In these concluding sessions, Dr. Brooks will explore big population data sets and explain how our personalities and happiness change over time—and, with the right habits, for the better.
• Students will depart with a strategic plan for improving their well-being for the remainder of their lives.

Additional Optional Events:

• Welcome reception and dinner with Arthur Brooks: Sunday, December 6, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
• Group dinner: Tuesday, December 8, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
• Workshop sessions hosted by Arthur Brooks' team: Monday, December 7 and Tuesday, December 8, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Program Fee Includes: 

• Room and board
• Breakfast and lunch on class days
• Additional optional events (Welcome reception and dinner; Group dinner; Workshop sessions)

About Arthur Brooks

Arthur Brooks is one of the world’s leading experts on the science of human happiness, appearing in the media and traveling the world to teach people in private companies, universities, public agencies, and faith communities how they can live happier lives and bring greater well-being to others.

Brooks is a professor at Vanderbilt University and a senior fellow at the Harvard Business School. He is a CBS News contributor, columnist with The Free Press, and host of the weekly podcast "Office Hours with Arthur Brooks."

He is the author of 16 books, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness, Build the Life You Want (co-authored with Oprah Winfrey), and From Strength to Strength.

For those interested in participating in the virtual course only, please see the Leadership and Happiness (Virtual Course) option.