Chief Joy Officer

Joy at work isn't just a dream—it’s a choice you can make by leading with authenticity, optimism, and a commitment to serve.

1. Leading with Authenticity Brings True Connection

Authenticity in leadership bridges the gap between leaders and their teams. Too often, people show different personas at work and at home, wearing metaphorical masks to conceal their vulnerabilities. Richard Sheridan emphasizes that true leadership starts when we reveal our authentic selves, fostering trust and meaningful connections among colleagues.

The story of Ele’s Place illustrates this. Teens processing grief wrote contrasting emotions on the inside and outside of their masks. When they shared, they realized they weren’t alone, finding comfort in genuine expression. This exercise parallels the workplace: leaders often portray strength outwardly, suppressing internal stress and doubt. Becoming authentic means breaking this cycle and sharing how they truly feel, encouraging others to do the same.

Sheridan practices this by embracing humility in his leadership role. He sets an example by doing small tasks like emptying the office dishwasher or cleaning up after lunches, showing his colleagues that no work is beneath anyone. This fosters a collaborative work culture where everyone feels valued and inspired to be their authentic selves.

Examples

• The exercise with grieving teens inspired Sheridan to value authenticity in leadership.
• Leaders at Menlo openly share their insecurities rather than disguising them with false-confidence.
• Sheridan models humility daily by doing routine tasks like cleaning, which resonates with his team.

2. Optimism Can Transform Work Culture

Optimistic leadership is a powerful driver of joy and engagement at work. Sheridan argues that leaders must don the "yellow hat" of optimism and focus on possibilities rather than pitfalls. By projecting belief in success, leaders inspire energy and innovation.

An example of applying this optimism comes from Edward de Bono's "Six Thinking Hats," which encourages looking at situations from multiple perspectives. At Menlo Innovations, leaders frequently say, "Let’s try it" instead of hesitating. Even a small change like abandoning personal offices for open spaces has generated major cultural shifts. Sheridan cites Ron Sail at GE, who moved his team to an open floor plan, sparking joy and collaboration, which even led GE to name a training center after him.

Being optimistic doesn’t mean dismissing challenges—it’s about believing in people’s strengths and providing a space for their ideas to flourish. Team members excel when leaders create an environment that sees the best in them and their suggestions.

Examples

• Sheridan advises visiting leaders to leave their offices and work directly alongside employees.
• Ron Sail’s removal of office walls cultivated engagement and collaboration at GE.
• By focusing on what could succeed rather than fail, Menlo achieved deeper team involvement.

3. Serving Others Is the Path to True Joy

True happiness comes not from self-centered accomplishments but from serving others. When Sheridan assembled a surprise bookshelf for his parents at age ten, their joyous reaction left an impression that shaped his approach to leadership and culture.

He likens meaningful work to the story of three bricklayers. One said he laid bricks, another was building a wall, and the last joyfully explained he was creating a cathedral. The latter, connecting his work to service, felt pride. Sheridan believes connecting employees to how their work impacts others sparks joy.

Even mundane tasks can have meaning when done with a service mindset. Sheridan recalls an older McDonald’s worker who not only cleaned tables with care but offered travelers napkins and good wishes. His kind presence reflected a culture built on serving, showing that customer-first attitudes can create joy, even in industries like fast food.

Examples

• Sheridan celebrated joy as a child by building a meaningful gift for his parents.
• A McDonald’s employee demonstrated service-mindedness with warmth and care.
• The "cathedral" analogy illustrates how a greater purpose fuels motivation.

4. Leaders Inspire Action, Not Control

Sheridan makes an important distinction: leaders influence growth and passion, while bosses demand compliance. A hierarchy-free workplace allows employees to innovate without seeking endless permissions, fostering exciting ideas and faster progress.

At Menlo, the team operates non-hierarchically. Responsibilities like hiring and evaluations are shared, allowing employees to find solutions together. This shifts the focus from rigid command chains to collective empowerment. Sheridan also recalls his learning point at Interface Systems, where avoiding small errors only invited larger, delayed mistakes. Leadership culture at Menlo embraces faster and smarter learning from challenges.

Leadership is about stepping back to let others shine. Teams work better, and innovation thrives when leaders encourage everyone’s voice over a restrictive boss-employee dynamic.

Examples

• Menlo team members conduct interviews collaboratively rather than deferring to singular decisions.
• Employees openly owned the philosophy of "we report to each other," rejecting rigid chains of command.
• A poster urging “Make Mistakes Faster” encourages curiosity and faster learning.

5. Systems Build Sustainable Joy

Joyful work cultures rely on clear systems to foster fairness, simplicity, and teamwork. Sheridan notes that relying solely on individual effort can lead to inconsistent results. Instead, well-designed systems ensure productivity while preventing burnout.

At Menlo, this is exemplified in a detailed time-tracking system. By accounting for work in fifteen-minute increments, they forecast deadlines more accurately and minimize stressful overtime. Systems enable organizations to set employees up for consistent success.

Leaders can adjust systems to align with desired values. In an R&D organization Sheridan consulted, rewards were initially given only to individuals. When they shifted to teams celebrating collective patents, collaboration improved dramatically.

Examples

• Menlo’s time tracking reduces errors and prevents employee burnout.
• Switching from individual to team patent awards boosted collaboration in an automotive firm.
• Supporting systems ensure employees feel rewarded and valued consistently.

6. Foster Caring Through Shared Responsibilities

Caring deeply for each other leads to stronger workplaces. At Menlo Innovations, even the hiring process reflects this ethos. Candidates are paired and instructed to work together, demonstrating care by helping one another succeed.

This value extends throughout Menlo. When an employee struggling with tardiness faced termination elsewhere, his Menlo colleague simply picked him up daily, ensuring he made it to work. Personal gestures of caring, like Sheridan’s assistant preempting schedule exhaustion, build an emotionally supportive culture.

Helping coworkers thrive creates a joyous cycle of support. Caring inspires cooperation, trust, and shared success throughout teams, no matter their roles.

Examples

• Menlo recruitment prioritizes teamwork by coaching candidates to help one another.
• A colleague agreed to drive a struggling teammate to work daily, keeping his job intact.
• Sheridan’s assistant demonstrated caring by easing his workload during demanding travel.

7. Learning Together Creates Resilient Teams

Organizations that prioritize collective learning remain adaptable and forward-thinking. Sheridan argues that continuous learning is essential for survival, as evidenced by companies like Borders Books, which failed to adapt to the digital age.

At Menlo, a library of books encourages team growth. Key reading habits spark innovation, and regular “lunch and learn” sessions share fresh ideas between employees. Pair programming further enhances collaboration. When team members routinely work side-by-side, sharing insights and learning happens naturally.

Learning energizes teams and ensures they’re better equipped for challenges. Making knowledge-sharing a daily routine strengthens creativity and resilience.

Examples

• Menlo’s open-access book library encourages curiosity and education.
• Pair programming between employees promotes shared knowledge through collaboration.
• Borders Books’ failure to learn illustrates the danger of inflexibility in changing markets.

8. Collaborative Work Beats Bureaucracy

Traditional workplaces often hinder productivity through layers of approvals and processes. Sheridan believes that open communication and collaboration empower teams to take initiative and find creative solutions.

Menlo’s open floor plan eradicates isolating hierarchies, fostering real-time collaboration. Every voice matters in decision-making, from programming teams to support roles. This approach contrasts with hierarchical organizations, where decisions bottleneck at management levels, slowing innovation.

Collaboration builds workplaces where innovation flows freely, and employees feel heard and valued—a cornerstone of joy in any environment.

Examples

• Menlo’s open-plan office increases face-to-face problem-solving collaboration.
• Team-led hiring processes let employees’ opinions guide Menlo’s recruitment strategy.
• Reducing layers of approvals allows faster adjustments to challenges.

9. The Power of Equal Rewards

Rewarding everyone equally fosters mutual respect instead of unhealthy competition. Sheridan believes that equally distributed bonuses demonstrate how every member of a team contributes meaningfully to success.

At Menlo, bonuses are not percentages but fixed amounts, reinforcing that everyone—from developers to receptionists—is indispensable. This aligns with their culture of shared achievement and teamwork.

Equalizing rewards makes employees feel seen for their efforts, ultimately strengthening organizational loyalty and morale.

Examples

• Flat bonuses recognize everyone’s contributions at Menlo Innovations.
• Team focuses on overall successes instead of individual incentives.
• Employees feel united when rewards reflect shared goals, not hierarchy.

Takeaways

1. Remove walls—literally or figuratively—to promote open communication and collaboration.
2. Establish clear, fair systems, ensuring all team members are supported equally.
3. Foster a learning habit through pairing, sharing books, or group discussions to spark innovation together.