Barnabas File

Positive psychology developed out of the work of Martin Seligman in the 1970s and 1980s.  One person describes positive psychology as  “the scientific study of what makes life most worth living.” Rather than studying the pathology of those who have problems coping with everyday life, those involved in positive psychology look at how individuals not only cope but prosper.” In recent years,  positive organizational psychology has evolved to study what both elevates and challenges employees and their companies. It proposes that we ask questions about what goes right, what gives life, what inspires and what is experienced as good, in addition to what is problematic and difficult in organizations.  This type of research addresses topics such as hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Of course, an organization that is characterized by the elements of positive psychology are its leaders.  One research project identified these four char...

In  The Medici Effect ,  Frans Johansson  describes how breakthrough ideas most often occur when we bring concepts from one field into a new, unfamiliar territory.  One of my areas of interest is leadership.  I found long ago that both behavioral and organizational psychology can provide fresh understanding about how individuals lead others and what influences a person to follow a leader. In recent years, the field of positive psychology has provided new insights into the characteristics that make an effective leader. Research based books like Grit by Amanda Duckworth, Mindset by Carol Dweck, and Positivity by Barbara Fredrickson highlight concepts and practices that can help a person to become a thriving leader. Although often found in the “Self-Help” section of a bookstore, these books are based on rigorous research. As I use this books in seminary classes, a third dimension is brought to bear--theological reflection. Since the ...

Angela Duckworth, in her book Grit:   The Power and Passion of Perseverance , shares this story: “When three bricklayers were asked what they were doing, they responded with the following answers: The first replied that he was laying bricks. The second replied that he was building a church. The third replied that he was building the house of God.   The different responses given by the bricklayers show that the first bricklayer saw his occupation as a job, the second saw it as a career, whereas the third saw it as a calling. People who describe their occupation as a calling are grittier than those who consider their work a career or job." According to Duckworth, “grit” is the ability to stay with something and develop a high level of competence in that activity.  Those who are “grittier” stay with the activity or position even when the going gets rough. Those of us in the church don’t talk about calling as much as we once did.  Part...