On this special date, it is a time to celebrate the boundless influence and eternal wisdom of my friend and esteemed academic colleague, Prof. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. His legacy, centered on the concept of Flow, has fundamentally reshaped psychology, leadership, and our understanding of human happiness, providing a blueprint for optimal living. He also designed Flow-Is-Good-Business-For-You, FLIGBY, probably the best leadership decision-making simulation, built on emotion predictions and for a new era of data-driven leadership skills development.
Mihaly was truly a giant in his field: I always emphasize that he is the best-known Hungarian scientist in the world and a recognized guru on balancing individual, group, and organizational peak performance with maintaining happiness. He founded positive psychology as a new field of science and pioneered studies in creativity and happiness.
Your Eternal Quest for the Optimal Experience
Mihaly dedicated his life to answering a critical modern dilemma: Why is it that, despite great achievements, ever-increasing performance, and wealth, so many people still feel unsatisfied, unaccomplished, or unhappy? Many professionals lament that they are “too stressed out” and feel “stuck in the mud,” often pondering whether their daily work is truly meaningful.
Mihaly’s work provides a potent answer through his revolutionary concept: the Optimal Experience, or the ‘Moments of being in Flow’, in super energy and bliss.
Flow: Finding Magic in the Routine
Flow is described as a special energy that drives the person from inside. It is the state that leads directly to high performance, creativity, and essential skills development. It offers a valuable route to escape the stressful rat race of modern life, acting as a shortcut to a meaningful, happy life.
Mihaly proved that the path to Flow is available even in routine life. In his international bestseller book, Running Flow, the real central theme is how individuals can choose to turn their many routine daily activities—at home or at work—into a source of happiness and optimal experience.
The spontaneous, driving energy of Flow is beautifully illustrated by the anecdote of Forrest Gump, the character in the Hollywood blockbuster movie. When a reporter asked him why thousands followed him, Forrest simply replied: ”I just felt like running.”. As Mihaly taught us, this is the real magic power of ‘being in Flow’—it even engages others to join in!
Our Shared Legacy: The FLIGBY Decision Simulation for the Future
I had the great honor of working closely with Mihaly for many years, alongside our dedicated team at FLIGBY. We jointly developed his official leadership simulation game, which is founded on decision-dilemmas. The goal of this serious game is to train executives on how to embrace and enjoy the inherent challenges of leading people and decision-making, providing the experience and development without the actual risks or dangers of real-world corporate climbing, similar to managing the dangers of mountain climbing.
Our collaboration continues vigorously through the ‘Leadership & Flow Global Research Network’. This program functions as a comprehensive research network and a global community of scholars and practitioners. Building on the substantial foundations laid by Prof. Csikszentmihalyi, our core objective is to provide practical help to organizations in implementing Flow-promoting management. This approach consistently generates beneficial results, including more energy, creativity, performance, and happiness at work. The program also aims to integrate Flow principles with other leadership theories, benefiting all participants.
An Enduring Legacy of Wisdom
Mihaly’s teachings remain vibrant and impactful. I continue to use his concepts, including the Running Flow book, as the official course material on my global executive MBA programs. His wisdom reminds us that while winning matters in the corporate sphere, winning for yourself, your own life, is the ultimate key question.
As the ancient Greek philosopher Herakleitos said, “No one can step twice into the same river flow”. Similarly, once you engage with Mihaly’s powerful wisdom, your perception about your own life, your activities, and your possible way to happiness will not be the same anymore.
To better understand the profound impact of Flow, and to see how this phenomenon translates into executive development:
Watch this clip and I am curious what YOU think and feel?
I encourage you to explore the extensive research and academic publications stemming from his enduring legacy, available through the network:
• Research & Publications: See the List of Our Most Important Publications and Articles related to leveraging Serious Games, such as “Leveraging Digital Serious Games: Integrating FLIGBY into Public Administration Education”.
• Explore our related work: www.fligby.com & www.flowleadership.org. The network includes content related to Positive Psychology, Leadership Simulation, Stress, and the FLIGBY Book.
His vision for finding happiness and optimal experience is eternal.
I wish to you and all who follow his work, ‘May the Flow Be With You!”
And now… be entertained:
Dr. Zoltan Buzady, Associate Professor of Leadership and Flow, Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary.