By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to a new study released by the UK’s Institute for Leadership and Management, positivity may be the key to unlocking superior performance.

In other words, being happy may make you a better manager.

The ILM asked 1,000 managers in the UK to rate their level of positivity, performance, their team’s happiness and performance, and other topics like stress and advancement. For anyone who’s attempted to wade into the vast pool of research on employee engagement, the results shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The study revealed that the top performers in the group were also the happiest. Not only that, but happier managers tend to have happier, better performing teams. Of course, it’s difficult to pinpoint the cause and effect here – maybe top-performing managers are happy because they are doing so well rather than vice-versa.

Nevertheless, the implication is clear: there is a link between happiness and performance. How are you going to increase your positivity and your productivity this year?

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By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Earlier this week, Working Mother Media hosted a panel on key factors for women’s advancement in law. The panel, hosted by Deborah Epstein Henry, Founder and President of Flex-Time Lawyers, and author of Law and Reorder: Legal Industry Solutions for Restructure, Retention, Promotion & Work/Life Balance, discussed opportunities for women to take charge of their career path.

The speakers included Susan L. Lees, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Allstate Insurance Co., Andra Shapiro, Executive Vice President Business Affairs & General Counsel, Nickelodeon / Viacom Media Network, Lewis Steverson, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary to the Board, Motorola Solutions, Inc., and Julie Sweet, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer, Accenture.

Henry remarked that the panel was designed to tackle the strategic side of career advancement that many women find challenging. “All we think is that we have to be good, that we’ve done the work – we’re worker bees – and that we don’t need the recognition.”

The reality couldn’t be farther from the truth though, she continued. In a competitive job market, being a good worker is a prerequisite for success. But effectively leveraging that success for advancement is what propels you to the top.

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By Robin Madell (San Francisco)

In a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, Heidi Miller, who was formerly head of the international business line at J.P. Morgan, recommended that women in finance get comfortable with asking for more.

In the article, Miller describes a time earlier in her career when she worked for Chemical Bank and learned firsthand the value of asking for what you want. After experiencing some frustrations in her position, she considered quitting. But before making a final decision, she practiced asking for a list of demands, and then presented this list to her manager. Her practice paid off when she received everything that she asked for—including the title of managing director and a bump in salary.

No matter what level of the organization you’ve currently reached, there are little ways that you can learn to improve your skills at requesting more of what you want and deserve in the workplace. To explore the best strategies, The Glass Hammer spoke with Carol Frohlinger, co-author of Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It.

Frohlinger, who is also a co-founder of Negotiating Women, explains that she wrote the book with co-author Lois Frankel because girls are socialized to be “nice,” and some women end up carrying those messages into life as adults, causing them to be reluctant to ask for what they deserve. (See “How to Navigate the Niceness Paradox, Part 1” and “Part 2.”)

“Girls are told they should be seen but not heard, should let others take the lead, and should put the needs of others’ first,” explains Frohlinger. “But it is also important to note that gender stereotypes are operative—and both men and women believe them. As a result, when women do ask, they can face backlash because the cultural expectation is that they won’t ask.”

Frohlinger emphasizes the importance of applying negotiation and communication principles and skills to one’s personal life, as well as to workplace situations. “I think this aspect has been neglected—and I firmly believe that one can’t be successful at work unless you negotiate for whatever you need at home,” she says.

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By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

On this election day, Tiffany Dufu, President of The White House Project, has a message for women. “You are the most powerful change agent in your own journey. Exercise your power. Vote.”

Dufu’s words come as a reminder that the prevalence of women in leadership has not existed for long. Throughout history, there have indeed been notable women in positions of power – but they were rare. The era we live in is unlike any before, in terms of the power women can wield in the public space.

That’s not to say that women have, by any stretch of the imagination, attained equality of representation – either in politics or in business. This is a detriment to everyone – study after study has shown that a diverse group of people at the top produces a stronger result. Diverse groups reach conclusions that are at the same time more innovative and more considered.

“We need women leaders,” Dufu said. “We don’t have enough women in leadership in business or in politics. We have, in fact, people at the highest levels of business and politics who impact every single one of us. And until this group is truly a diversity of voices, the biggest crisis we have is a crisis of leadership.”

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