Rejoicing Is Rebellion: What Dr. Arthur Brooks Taught Me About Leadership and Happiness

Date: May 2025
Author: Miheret Tilahun

At the 2025 Alpha Leadership Conference in London, I found myself sitting on the floor of an overflow room at HTB, not expecting the moment to shape my thinking on leadership and joy so profoundly. But then Dr. Arthur Brooks—Harvard scholar, Catholic believer, and happiness expert—stood up and posed a question that cut straight to the heart:

“How do you lead others well if you’re not working on your own happiness?”

That question may sound like a modern self-help cliché—but in Dr. Brooks’ hands, it became something deeper. A challenge. A call. Even a kind of ethical mandate for leaders who claim to follow Jesus.

Because here’s the truth: people are watching. And as Brooks reminded us, “you might be the only Jesus follower someone meets.” In that context, your happiness—your visible joy, peace, and presence—becomes a form of witness.

Happiness Is a Formula, Not a Mystery

Dr. Brooks shared that happiness isn’t just about personality or good fortune. It actually breaks down like this:

50% genetic
25% life circumstances
25% habits

That final 25%? That’s our stewardship zone—the part we can cultivate, and the part that matters deeply for leaders. Especially those of us called to reflect Christ in digital spaces, cross-cultural work, and everyday leadership.

The 4 Habits That Fuel Joyful Leadership

Brooks identified four practices that most significantly contribute to sustained happiness—and they sound a lot like spiritual formation:

Faith – Anchoring your identity in something eternal, not in your role, reputation, or performance.
Family – Choosing unity over division, even when disagreements come.
Friendship – Investing in real, vulnerable friendships—especially the “useless” kind that don’t serve an agenda.
Work – Not merely collecting a paycheck, but pursuing earned success and meaningful service.

Meaning: The Antidote to Despair

Brooks asked two questions that I’ve continued to reflect on:

Why am I alive?
What would I give my life for?

He shared that most people under 30 can’t answer either—and that’s not just a crisis of mental health. It’s a crisis of meaning. In his words, “That’s the mission field.”

Know Your Idol—or It Will Derail You

One of the more sobering moments came when Brooks quoted Thomas Aquinas, who named the four “false gods” that tempt the human heart:

Money
Power
Pleasure
Honor (fame or approval)

Each of us leans toward one of these. If we don’t name it, it will quietly shape our decisions and eventually shape our regrets.

Don't Just Listen—Teach

Dr. Brooks ended with a challenge that hit home for me:

“Teach this material. Share it. Put your name on it.”

Because we remember what we teach. And people follow leaders who live what they say.