Vice President Kamala Harris is the highest-ranking woman in the history of the United States, and she’s in the midst of a tense presidential campaign. Yet Harris is also someone who openly laughs. She dances. She encourages people to get sweet treats as she travels the country. As speakers (including former President Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey) pointed out at the Democratic National Convention, Harris channels “joy.”
Joy isn’t synonymous with ‘women’s style’ and isn’t a good thing in its own right; it’s a good thing because it’s authentic to Harris.
Harris’s unabashed embrace of joy is creating a new blueprint for what women leaders can do. “It challenges some of the notions and biases we have towards our leaders about what leadership ‘should’ look like,” says La’Kita Williams, the founder and lead strategist at CoCreate Work, a workplace culture and leadership consultancy. “From everything I have seen in response to her leadership style – which has become more visible during this campaign – authentic joy is just what we need in our workplaces.”
Teja Smith, founder and CEO of Get Social, a creative and social media agency, echoes that sentiment. Smith sees Harris’s open embrace of joy and empathy as humanizing politics while “setting a new standard” for elected leaders.
“Joy is an authentic value for Harris. It’s not a strategy. It’s a foundational aspect of who she is,” says Rachel Peck, an executive coach, founder, and CEO of Metronome. These three women are just a few of the many women leaders and career coaches taking a page from Harris’s playbook and encouraging joy in the workplace – and pointing out that although Harris may face sexist attacks in the lead-up to the election, joy could also be her superpower. As Peck explains, “Joy isn’t synonymous with ‘women’s style’ and isn’t a good thing in its own right; it’s a good thing because it’s authentic to Harris, and I love that she’s able to show up so authentically.”
Most women leaders don’t face as demanding a job as Harris, but leaning into joy is something they can relate to and aspire to. If you want to use joy more in your role, here are some points to keep in mind.
How Should You Employ Joy as a Leader?
Be authentic.
The era of the girlboss-led, seemingly perfect but actually toxic workplace is (mostly) over. Authentic and empathetic bosses can use joy to create a meaningfully positive space. What does joy mean for you, and how can you demonstrate it as a leader at work? As Peck says, “Find what lights you up and share that with others.”
In Peck’s case, this involves making silly jokes and taking on projects that bring her joy. She finds this attitude can not only disarm other people, providing a chance for greater depth, but it also makes her work feel more sustainable and meaningful.
Openly express joy and other emotions.
You don’t have to do anything extreme – just let your joy or excitement be evident to your team, Williams says. “This is a great time to practice with this because it is a part of the national conversation,” she adds. “When we see shifts in culture and leadership, it can make it easier to have the conversation or initiate the change.”
When we insist that any leader or person shows up as superhuman, we take away from their humanity.
Expressing your feelings also signifies that you’re not superhuman – an idea often connected with leadership. “What I hope we can see now is that these are harmful and unrealistic expectations,” Williams says. “When we insist that any leader or person shows up as superhuman, we take away from their humanity.”
Have empathy.
For Smith, empathy is a crucial part of joy. She recommends leaders think about ongoing stresses their employees might be experiencing and leave room for breaks and flexibility daily. “Happy and fulfilled workers are not overworked,” she says.
Find the right work-life balance.
On a similar note, Williams emphasizes the importance of leaders caring for themselves. Otherwise, you risk running yourself into the ground and burning out. In fact, doing so makes joy very challenging to access, according to Williams. “Once you feel grounded in what joy means for you and how it contributes to your leadership, begin to share it as one of your values,” she says. “Often, we will work with leaders to build a leadership statement that outlines what they value and their unique contributions as a leader. When you add joy to the equation, you can talk about it as a key value and how this shows up in your leadership.”
If you’re unable to step back from difficult experiences or news due to work, Smith recommends adapting a lighthearted approach even alongside serious, thoughtful projects. When faced with difficult experiences, Smith reminds herself “that we are doing important work that others may not be able to do. Finding joy in making a difference and enjoying the process is key.” Knowing that she has the chance to use her voice for greater awareness helps her find joy in serious issues.
“Remember that you have been assigned to this work for a reason,” Smith adds. “Some people are interning and trying to find opportunities that are doing the advocacy work you do.” This mindset also provides her with greater mental resistance.
Can Joy in the Workplace Hurt Women’s Careers?
Peck is quick to note the double standard Harris and all women can face in leading authentically. She points to Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is celebrated for his quirky, corny, and authentic demeanor – he rose to the national stage for calling Trump “weird,” which says it all. All the while, questions circulate about whether Harris is using a strategy when acting in similar ways.
People’s perceptions, which have been consciously or subconsciously shaped by gender and racial stereotypes, are a crucial factor here. “Any drawbacks to embracing joy in the workplace as a leader have to do with the same systems that deprioritize wellbeing at work,” Williams says. “The issue is not the joy, the issue is our perception that joy is not a useful emotion.”
How and how much to combat these stereotypes and biases is a personal choice. For Smith, the key is finding joy in sharing the facts, battling misinformation, and “putting truth to your power.”
Williams doesn’t want that fight to solely fall to women – and, especially, women of color. “It is up to all of us to address our perceptions about women of color who lead with joy,” she says. “We also need to address the systemic barriers that keep women out of leadership. When we increase the number of women in leadership, we see and normalize the range of styles in how women lead – including leading with joy.”
At the end of the day, these women appreciate that Harris is leading completely as herself. “That’s what we should be building toward: not just more open joy as an end unto itself, but more open authenticity,” Peck says. “Plus, if the worst thing you can say about someone is that they laugh too much or have ‘auntie energy,’ you’re probably doing something right.”
Sarah Fielding is an acclaimed journalist with seven years of experience covering mental health, social issues, and tech for publications such as PS, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Insider, and Engadget. She’s also a cofounder of Empire Coven, a space highlighting trailblazing women across the United States.
