When we remember our humanity, protect happiness and dignity as essential rights, and rebuild genuine communities in the places where we work, something much larger begins to shift. Because when people are allowed to be fully human at work, we are not only improving organizations — we are helping shape a more compassionate society.
As a part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Daniela Jines.
Daniela Jinés is an internationally recognized expert in happiness at work and a global advocate working to restore humanity, dignity, and meaning to the way we work. Blending neuroscience, leadership development, and the transformative power of art, she challenges outdated models of productivity and champions happiness as a fundamental human right — a vision she explores in her widely acclaimed book on happiness and organizational life. Grounded in her doctoral research on organizational happiness and human rights, Daniela works with leaders and organizations around the world to help shape workplaces where people, purpose, and performance can truly thrive.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I think my path really began in childhood. I grew up in a place called Oruro, in Bolivia, in a family where helping others was simply part of everyday life. My mother, a psychologist, spent much of her time working in shelters, and my father, an economist, was deeply committed to supporting people through microeconomic initiatives that helped communities in need. Through them, volunteering and caring for others were never extraordinary acts — they were simply the natural way to live.
As a child, I quickly realized how difficult it is to solve the world’s problems at a macro level. But I also saw something powerful: small human actions — kindness, generosity, sharing what we have, and supporting one another — can profoundly change someone’s life. Being part of the Quechua cultural tradition, I grew up with a concept called Ayni, which refers to mutual support — the understanding that communities thrive when people help and uplift one another.
That idea stayed with me deeply. At first it lived in my heart and in the values I grew up with, but as I studied law, human rights, and organizations, it also became something intellectual and intentional. I began to understand that the way we treat people — especially in the places where we spend so much of our lives, like work — has enormous social consequences. In many ways, my work today is an extension of that early understanding: that when we bring dignity, humanity, and care into our systems, we don’t just improve organizations — we strengthen communities and society itself.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
One of the moments that marked me the most happened when I was invited to work with a group of senior leaders who were very skeptical about the idea of happiness at work. Some of them even joked that it sounded like a “hippie concept,” and that business should focus only on productivity and results. I remember walking into the room knowing that this was not going to be about convincing them with arguments, but about creating an experience that could open a different perspective.
Instead of beginning with data or theories, I invited them into something more human. We started with quiet reflection and journaling, asking them to remember moments in their lives when they had felt truly alive, connected, and proud of their work. Later, through music, movement, and creative exercises, we explored how art can open conversations that traditional leadership discussions often avoid. At first there was hesitation, even some laughter. But slowly the atmosphere shifted.
Leaders who had arrived with crossed arms began to soften. Some shared personal stories about burnout, about losing talented people, or about how lonely leadership can sometimes feel. At one point, I remember watching these same executives — people who had come in skeptical — standing together, moving, reflecting, and even laughing as they rediscovered a more human side of themselves.
By the end of the experience, one of them told me, “I came here thinking this was going to be something soft and unrealistic. But now I realize that what we’re talking about is actually one of the most serious conversations we need to have about leadership.”
That moment stayed with me deeply. It reminded me that sometimes transformation doesn’t happen through persuasion — it happens when people are given the space to reconnect with their own humanity.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I wouldn’t necessarily call it funny, but it was certainly one of the most important lessons of my life. Early in my career, when I first began working on human rights and happiness — and even as a young lawyer — I was extremely driven by results. I cared deeply about the mission, but in my urgency to achieve impact, I became overly demanding and focused on outcomes. Ironically, while we were working to create happiness and dignity for others, the people in my own team were not experiencing that same sense of wellbeing.
At one point, some members of my team gathered the courage to tell me this directly. They spoke with honesty and kindness, but also with great bravery. Hearing it was difficult, of course — no one enjoys realizing that their actions may be hurting the very people they care about. But at the same time, it was also incredibly uplifting, because it meant that the people around me trusted me enough to tell the truth.
That moment changed the way I lead. I realized that we cannot advocate for dignity, happiness, and human-centered systems in the world if we are not living those values in our own daily interactions. Since then, I have tried to approach leadership with much more humility, listening, and care. In many ways, that experience taught me that the work of creating happier organizations always begins with ourselves.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
At the heart of our work is a simple but deeply important belief: the knowledge that helps people live and work with dignity, wellbeing, and happiness should be accessible to everyone. Over the years, I have studied the intersection of neuroscience, human rights, organizational life, and ancestral approaches to healing and community. Much of this knowledge can be complex and difficult to access, often remaining within academic circles. Our mission has been to translate it into something profoundly human — tools that are simple, practical, and understandable for anyone.
One of the ways we do this is by bringing science and learning into formats that people can truly feel and absorb. We use art, reflection, creativity, and experiential practices so that people do not simply learn concepts intellectually, but experience them. The goal is that people can integrate these insights naturally into their daily lives, without needing to dramatically change their routines. When the ideas become tangible and embodied, the results can often be felt almost immediately in the way people communicate, collaborate, and care for one another.
A central part of our mission is humanitarian. We actively work with organizations, communities, schools, and universities that might not otherwise have access to this type of training. We share the same knowledge with students, workers, leaders, and teams, making sure that these ideas reach people regardless of their resources. What is beautiful to witness is that the impact rarely stops with the individual. People bring these practices home to their families, to their children, to their coworkers, and even to the clients and communities they serve.
In this way, something very powerful begins to happen. What starts as a conversation about happiness at work becomes a growing network of human care and awareness. Each person who experiences it carries it forward, expanding the circle a little further.
And that is where real social impact begins — when one person’s transformation quietly becomes a ripple that reaches many others.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
One story that stays very close to my heart is about a colleague I met years ago at a university. At the time, he was studying in a very traditional and structured field, and his way of thinking was extremely formal. He believed deeply in discipline, systems, and performance, and he was openly skeptical about many of the ideas I shared about happiness, wellbeing, and the emotional dimension of leadership. I still remember him joking that practices like breathwork or reflective pauses before work sounded far too “soft” to have any real impact.
But something beautiful happened over time. Instead of dismissing the ideas completely, he became curious. For many years he would devour any research I shared with him. Every time we spoke, he would ask for more studies, more materials, more frameworks, and more practices. What impressed me most was that he first experimented with them in his own life. He practiced the breathing exercises, reflection practices, and wellbeing tools himself, observing how they influenced his clarity, his stress, and the way he related to people.
Eventually he returned to his country and continued his work in education. Years later, he wrote to tell me he had become a school principal. What moved me deeply was hearing how he had taken these ideas and embedded them into the culture of the entire school community. He placed great emphasis on happiness and dignity within his team, making sure that every person in the school community felt valued, respected, and cared for — from the educators and administrative staff to the many people whose daily work helps the school run smoothly and supports the environment where children learn.
The same person who once laughed at the idea of breathing together now encourages teachers and students to begin their classes with a few moments of breathwork to center themselves. The school also hosts gatherings where teachers, parents, and students move, dance, and connect in ways that nurture joy and belonging. They openly talk about kindness, mental health, and bullying, creating a space where children feel safe to express themselves and to care for one another. What has been remarkable is that the academic results have also flourished — parents feel deeply connected to the school, the children are thriving and excelling, and the community itself is becoming increasingly respected for the culture of humanity and excellence it has created.
For us, he has become something very special. We consider him an honorary member of our work because he embodies the change we hope to see in the world — someone who took an idea, explored it with curiosity, and used it to help nurture a whole community.
And to me, that is the true power of this work: when one person’s willingness to grow quietly becomes a force that uplifts many others.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
I believe there are plenty and powerful things that communities, leaders, and policymakers can do if we truly want to address the deeper challenge behind happiness at work.
First, we must remember our humanity in the age of technology. We are living through an extraordinary technological revolution. Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, and it will continue transforming how we work. But even the most sophisticated systems cannot replace something essential about being human: our need for dignity, connection, and meaning. Neuroscience consistently shows that when people experience psychological safety and respect at work, the brain functions differently — creativity rises, decision-making improves, and collaboration becomes easier. At the same time, global data reminds us of the cost of ignoring the human side of work. The World Health Organization estimates that anxiety and depression cost the global economy around $1 trillion each year in lost productivity, and burnout has become one of the defining health challenges of modern organizations.
This means the real question is not whether we should focus on the human dimension of work, but whether we can afford not to. When leaders take the time to listen deeply to their teams, create spaces for honest dialogue, and normalize conversations about mental health and wellbeing, the atmosphere of an organization can change dramatically. Policymakers can support this shift by encouraging workplace standards and leadership training that place psychological safety and healthy work environments at the center of economic development.
Second, we must recognize that happiness and wellbeing are not luxuries — they are essential human rights. Over the years I have spoken with and interviewed thousands of people across cultures, industries, and countries, and I have also studied the data carefully to understand what people truly want from their lives. The answer appears again and again with surprising consistency: we want to be happy. We want to live with dignity, meaning, and a sense that our lives matter. And because work occupies such a large part of our lives, this aspiration naturally extends into our workplaces.
Yet the evidence shows how far we still have to go. Global surveys consistently report high levels of workplace disengagement, rising stress levels, and widespread use of antidepressants. At the same time, research in organizational psychology demonstrates that when people feel respected, valued, and supported at work, performance, innovation, and resilience increase significantly. Leaders who begin to measure success not only in financial terms but also through wellbeing, trust, and psychological safety often discover that the two are not in conflict — in fact, they reinforce each other. Policymakers can also help by encouraging national frameworks that support mental health access, healthier work environments, and leadership models grounded in human dignity.
Third, we need to rebuild the sense of community that human beings have always needed in order to thrive. Research on loneliness shows that social isolation can be as harmful to our health as major physical risk factors. And yet many workplaces still function in ways that unintentionally isolate people rather than connect them. What is fascinating is that cultures around the world have understood the importance of community for thousands of years. In Southern Africa, the philosophy of Ubuntu reminds us that “I am because we are.” In Chinese philosophy, the principle of Ren speaks of human-heartedness and our responsibility to care for one another. In Japan there is the idea of Ikigai, which reflects how meaning and purpose often emerge from contributing to something larger than ourselves. In many Indigenous cultures across the Americas, community wellbeing has always been understood as inseparable from individual wellbeing.
Across continents and centuries, these traditions point to the same truth: our ancestors already understood that human flourishing is collective. When workplaces embrace this wisdom — when people support one another, mentor one another, and celebrate shared success — organizations begin to feel less like systems and more like communities. Leaders can nurture this by encouraging collaboration and shared responsibility instead of only individual competition, and institutions can support environments where connection, belonging, and mentorship are valued.
When we remember our humanity, protect happiness and dignity as essential rights, and rebuild genuine communities in the places where we work, something much larger begins to shift.
Because when people are allowed to be fully human at work, we are not only improving organizations — we are helping shape a more compassionate society.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
For me, leadership is not primarily about authority or position. Through many years of research and work across different continents, speaking with leaders, workers, and communities in very different cultural contexts, I began to notice something remarkable: despite our differences, people around the world tend to recognize real leadership in very similar ways. When people describe leaders they trust, they rarely speak about power or status. Instead, they talk about leaders who genuinely care about people, who listen, who protect their teams, and who create environments where others can grow.
Many ancestral traditions captured this understanding long before modern leadership theories existed. In Māori culture in New Zealand, there is a concept called Manaakitanga, which refers to the responsibility of leaders to show care, generosity, and respect toward others. In many Native American traditions, leadership has long been associated with stewardship, meaning that those who guide a community must act in ways that protect and serve the wellbeing of the people and the land. In the Nordic countries, the cultural idea of Janteloven emphasizes humility and collective wellbeing, reminding leaders that no individual is above the community. Across very different parts of the world, these traditions point to the same truth: leadership is not about elevating oneself, but about taking responsibility for others.
What is fascinating is that modern neuroscience is now confirming what these traditions already understood. Research on psychological safety shows that when people feel safe, respected, and supported by their leaders, the brain’s prefrontal cortex becomes more active — allowing creativity, learning, and collaboration to flourish. But when fear dominates, the brain shifts into survival mode and people withdraw, compete, or disengage. This is why the small human behaviors of leaders matter so much.
I have seen leaders transform entire organizations through very simple but courageous actions: apologizing when they make mistakes, admitting when they do not have all the answers, or sharing their own stories and vulnerabilities with their teams. When a leader shows humility and honesty, something powerful happens — people feel safe enough to contribute their full intelligence, creativity, and humanity.
One concept I deeply love that captures this spirit is the idea that leaders eat last — the understanding that the role of a leader is to ensure the wellbeing of others before seeking personal reward. In many ways, this reflects what our ancestors understood so clearly: leadership is not about power, it is about responsibility and care.
The more I travel and work around the world, the more I realize that true leadership is not a new invention. It is a wisdom humanity has always carried — one that modern science is now helping us rediscover.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1. Happiness at work is not a soft idea — it is a biological reality.
Neuroscience shows that when people experience psychological safety, trust, and dignity, the brain’s prefrontal cortex becomes more active, supporting creativity, decision-making, and learning. Chronic stress, on the other hand, activates survival responses that reduce cognitive performance and increase burnout. What we call “happiness at work” is simply the human nervous system functioning as it was designed to function: in environments of trust and respect.
2. Human dignity is the foundation of healthy organizations.
Across cultures and thousands of interviews I have conducted, one truth repeats itself: we want to feel that we matter. Research in organizational psychology confirms that when people experience respect, fairness, and autonomy, engagement and performance increase dramatically. Work is not separate from life — because we spend so much of our lives working, dignity at work becomes a matter of human rights.
3. Culture is shaped by daily interactions more than policies.
Scientific studies on psychological safety show that teams perform best when people feel safe to speak, question, and contribute ideas without fear. Culture is not built through slogans or strategies — it is built through everyday signals of respect: listening, acknowledging effort, giving people space to think and collaborate. These small signals accumulate and shape the emotional climate of an organization.
4. Trust is the most powerful leadership tool.
Social neuroscience shows that trust reduces threat responses in the brain and increases cooperation. Leaders who are transparent, who admit mistakes, and who communicate honestly activate this sense of safety in others. When people trust their leaders, they bring more intelligence, creativity, and responsibility to their work.
5. Human beings thrive in community, not isolation.
Research on loneliness shows that social isolation has measurable effects on health and wellbeing, while strong social connection improves resilience and performance. Workplaces are one of the most powerful places where community can either be weakened or strengthened. When organizations cultivate belonging, collaboration, and mutual care, people do not simply work better — they live better.
At its core, organizational happiness is not a trend. It is the rediscovery of a fundamental truth supported by science, psychology, and centuries of human wisdom: when people feel safe, valued, and connected, both human beings and organizations flourish.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my favorite life-lesson quotes comes one of the CEOs I respect the most, RJ Martin, often says: “I need to trust my gut.”
At first it sounds simple, but the more I watched him lead, the more I understood how profound that idea really is. Trusting your gut is not about acting impulsively — it’s about knowing yourself deeply enough to recognize what aligns with your values and what does not. It means listening to data, perspectives, and advice, but also honoring that deeper inner compass that tells you when something feels right or wrong.
What made this lesson so meaningful for me was seeing it lived in practice. I have watched RJ apply this mindset in many areas of life — as an entrepreneur making difficult decisions, as a professor guiding students, and now as a father. He listens carefully to others and takes different opinions seriously, but when a decision touches his core values, he has the courage to stand by what he believes is right, even when the easier path might be to follow the crowd.
At the same time, trusting your gut doesn’t mean believing you are always right. One of the qualities I respect most in him is the humility to recognize when he has made a mistake and to say so openly. That kind of honesty creates trust. It gives people permission to try new things, to make mistakes, and to grow — because they know leadership is not about perfection but about learning.
Another aspect of this lesson is something he often emphasizes: if we want to trust our instincts, we must also take care of ourselves. He speaks about respecting the body as a temple — through exercise, movement, practices like yoga, and moments of reflection. When we care for our physical and mental wellbeing, we become more attuned to that quiet inner voice that helps guide us.
For me, that phrase — “I need to trust my gut” — has become a reminder that leadership is not only about strategy or intelligence. It is about self-awareness, integrity, and the courage to act in alignment with your values while treating others with dignity and care.
And in many ways, that is what the best leaders do: they know themselves well enough to lead with conviction, and are human enough to create space for others to grow alongside them.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could inspire a movement that could bring the greatest good to the greatest number of people, it would be a global movement to redesign work around human wellbeing.
The reason is simple: work shapes our lives more than almost anything else. Most adults spend a third of their lives working, and the environments we experience there influence our health, our families, and our communities. Yet the data shows something troubling. According to global workplace studies, only about one in five employees around the world feels truly engaged in their work, and chronic stress related to work continues to rise. The U.S. Surgeon General has even described workplace stress and loneliness as major public health concerns. These are not small signals — they are telling us that the way we organize work needs to evolve.
What excites me is that we now have the science to do something about it.
Research in neuroscience and organizational psychology shows that when people feel psychological safety, trust, and purpose, the brain shifts into a state where learning, creativity, and collaboration thrive. When those conditions are missing, the brain moves into survival mode — people withdraw, become defensive, or disengage. In other words, healthy workplaces are not just kinder environments; they are more intelligent systems.
The movement I imagine would focus on something very practical: making human wellbeing a design principle of organizations, not an afterthought. Imagine companies measuring not only productivity and revenue, but also levels of trust, belonging, and psychological safety. Imagine leadership education that teaches not only strategy and finance, but also how the human brain works under stress, how trust is built, and how teams flourish.
And here is where technology becomes powerful. Artificial intelligence and digital platforms could help translate decades of research in neuroscience and psychology into simple tools that people can use every day. Imagine leaders receiving guidance on how to structure meetings so people feel heard, teams learning small practices that strengthen collaboration, or workers having access to evidence-based tools that help them regulate stress and stay mentally healthy during the workday.
When workplaces become healthier, something extraordinary happens. People bring that wellbeing home. Families become more stable. Communities become more compassionate. Innovation increases because people feel safe enough to think differently.
The movement I would hope to inspire is simple but transformative: a world where the success of organizations is measured not only by what they produce, but by how well the people within them are able to thrive.
Because when work becomes a place where human beings can flourish, we are not only improving organizations — we are improving life itself.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
If I could share a private breakfast or lunch with someone, it would be Paula Kerger, the CEO of PBS.
Public media holds a unique place in society. PBS is consistently ranked among the most trusted media organizations in the United States, reaching millions of people across communities every single day. Because of that trust and reach, it has an extraordinary ability not only to inform people, but to shape the conversations that define how we live.
What I would love to discuss with her is something I believe has become urgent: the need to bring happiness at work and workplace wellbeing into the public conversation in a much more intentional way. The data is deeply concerning. Around the world, stress, burnout, depression, and loneliness connected to work are rising dramatically. The World Health Organization estimates that anxiety and depression cost the global economy over $1 trillion each year in lost productivity, and more importantly, they cost millions of people their health, their relationships, and sometimes even their lives.
Yet we rarely teach people — leaders or workers — how to build healthier work environments.
Through media platforms that people already trust, we could translate the science of wellbeing into simple, practical insights that anyone can understand: how leaders can create psychologically safe workplaces, how teams can build trust and collaboration, and how individuals can care for their mental and emotional wellbeing in the context of work.
This is not just a workplace issue — it is a societal one. Because when work environments become healthier, families become healthier, communities become stronger, and societies become more resilient.
That is why I would love to have that conversation: to explore how trusted media can help elevate this conversation and make the science of human wellbeing something people encounter in their daily lives — not as a luxury topic, but as a necessary one for the future of work and human dignity.
Thank you for sharing these inspiring insights!