Lead with Joy

Joy is an act of resistance. In the presence of sadness and grief, joy can feel like an impossible choice—but joy isn’t silliness, and it isn’t an attempt to eliminate sorrow, pain, or injustice. Joy is an attempt to make things better: to bring light to what we appreciate and enjoy. And when we do that, we open up the possibility for connection, collaboration, and community—which, in turn, helps us support each other when sorrow and pain arrive.

So what does that mean for someone who leads an organization? It can start with the idea of *dominion*. Yes, dominion can mean exercising authority or oversight, but in Genesis the Hebrew word is **radah**, which also carries the sense of responsible stewardship or management. Stewardship isn’t harsh. Stewardship is a simple decision to be kind—and kindness is not a sign of weakness or an abdication of productivity.

Back to joy: sharing what we love and finding common ground is one of the most practical paths to it, and it’s one of the quickest ways for leaders to acknowledge people’s humanity. It can be as simple as asking what someone watched on Netflix, what coffee shop they tried, what book they’re reading, or what new dish they made. It isn’t that hard, and it isn’t frivolous or a waste of time. We can bond over what we love or gripe about what we hate, but joy is a possibility.

Question: As a leader, how might you practice *radah* this week by choosing stewardship that honors people’s humanity through small moments of shared joy?