Part 2/II of our Interview with Dr. Zoltan Buzady
Associate Professor of Management, Corvinus Business School, Hungary
Director of the ‘Leadership & Flow Global Research Network’, Aleas Sims Inc., USA
Published in BUSINESS & PSYCHOLOGY* – Special Issue on Flow & Leadership
PART 1/II Here
– Zoltan, when you are teaching to these new generations at university, what do you sense in them? Which feelings and emotions do they typically have: Flow & Enthusiasm or rather Anxiety & Boredom? (Reporter)
Apathy! Sadly very often, apathy. Apathy, about not being able to handle their bosses!
Many of the current decision makers were lucky to have been promoted into important company positions during the rapid economic and social transformations of the early 1990s. The trouble with this process now is that not only they had not seen any good leadership role models themselves, but they have not taken the time and energy to educate themselves: the young ones are frustrated because the current managers do not develop their leadership style.
They are simply outdated, using comand and control, power-based style plus their so-called business experience of 20-25 years. However, I tell them, that this is not appropriate any more. They are simply not relevant anymore and not fit for the future anymore. These people are not capable to handle the new challenges and complexities.
So the younger generations are asking me how to handle such an unmotivating, boring boss?By the way, I think there is another important missing element: That generation has not been socialised in giving feedback. Feedback, however, is one of the 4 key aspect, or call it ingredients, of our Flow-promoting Leadership philosophy and technique.
Remember: No Flow emerges without a source of immediate feedback!
The new generation of people thus is longing for feedback, they are motivated to try out new things and solutions, but if they get no response, then not surprisingly they fall back into apathy. This is nothing new. My teacher and colleague, Prof. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described this process in all his global best-seller books. Most recently in #RunningFlow.
Sadly, I said above, because of all the mental states we can have apathy is the worst! Apathy leads to self-destruction and other it needs external help to get out of this emotional state – I strongly doubt that managers are well trained in this skill! But during our FLIGBY trainings we also talk about this aspect!And then, even worse, these bosses try to motivate by giving more money. As if it would solve all the motivation problems… Haha!
We know from international happiness studies, that most societies have reached a level of income, beyond which money is simply not a sustainable motivator anymore. In the U.S. this level was reached in the 1960’s! There income has more than doubled since then, but the level of gross national happiness, a measured index, has not much improved. In stead, it would be better to motivate the employees by other means. And I am not referring to indoor or outdoor games and corporate events. They are fine too, but they do not induce real Flow.
Flow, creativity and happiness occur during activities, when you are learning something and achieving your overall goal.
Flow happens you are applying and developing your skills.
And for this you need simply feedback on how you are doing.
That is the magic.
– So far you have told us about the responsibilities of the leader-managers. But what about that of the employees themselves? (Reporter)
Yes! I totally agree! All employees have an equal responsibility in changing the motivational system and the work culture.
I gave praise to the new generations above, but they also need to develop yet another key Flow-Leadership skills: Focusing!
We know from research, that it is not possible to get into the Zone – that is to enjoy your work and to experience Flow- if you are constantly distracted and try to do various activities simultaneously.No focus, No Flow. So simple.
The other phenomenon is that many are job-hopping and too often relocating, in hope of finding their happiness through higher salaries and better-paid jobs.
In fact, all our studies related to Flow show that people do not get lasting, sustainable happiness via their salaries and their luxurious lifestyle. Happiness comes not from pleasure (consumption) but from enjoyment (the beauty of applying and developing your skills during an activity). This was one of the core scientific discoveries made by Prof. Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, and now we are researching this phenomenon even with modern brain-research techniques and come to same conclusions.So – I recommend to you all to rather find your own Flow!
That is, by getting better and better at a particular activity!
At your work try to add more and more complexity to it.Forget about the phantasy that you will simply find your happiness by jumping constantly to the next promising, apparently better paying job or by thinking that moving abroad will automatically lead to happiness. You maybe be the lucky one, but this not what our research has shown!
Flow state also occurs easier if your life is balanced in other dimensions too, such ashealth, family, friends, culture and spirituality.
If you earn enough to make a decent living, why not rather focus on having good, intimate, friendly or family conversations.
Listen to music! Learn an instrument or create yourself – anything!
Have a hobby! Do you have a hobby?Me, for example, I get into Flow state easily when I am working on making my video clips, just for fun, just for myself.
And a really big Flow can catching me when I am on my motor-scooter and I am surfing on the waves of the busy traffic of beautiful Budapest city.
Well, believe me, then I am in the Flow-Zone! And nothing can stop me then!
CSIKSZENTMIHALYI FLIGBY 
FLIGBY