Why I as a manager I am convinced of PERMA-Lead
Since 2013, I have been a management trainer at the German Police University , I am currently head of the Leadership and Operations department at the Bavarian Police Training Institute and have held various leadership positions in the Bavarian police force. So I have been dealing with the topic of leadership for a very long time, have read numerous theories and studies and reflected on them in a practical leadership context. But as exciting as many of the approaches were, what I lacked as a manager and scientist was scientific proof of the effects and / or easy practical applicability, i.e. an operationalization of this "leadership style".
When I was researching the topic of positive psychology in 2019, I happened to come across the recently published book by Dr. Markus Ebner (here to the updated edition). And that's when a leadership approach really grabbed me for the first time. Because there are numerous studies in which the positive effects of PERMA-Lead have been proven (higher employee loyalty, better well-being, less illness, more creativity, lower predisposition to burnout, and much more). And even better: PERMA-Lead is totally easy to put into practice - you just have to do it. There are numerous examples of good practice in the Book by Dr. Markus Ebner and that was actually my first self-experiment with positive leadership: I picked out three of these examples every Christmas and introduced and implemented them with my teams. In another article I have also collected a few more examples or enriched suggestions from the book with examples.
PERMA-Lead has stayed with me and I became certified as a coach in 2024. I really enjoy infecting other managers with the great vibes of positive leadership and I am particularly pleased when authorities and police forces try out this approach - and thus scientifically proven to help make work more liveable and enjoyable for all employees, managers and coworkers.
What is PERMA-Lead?
Here is a brief summary of what PERMA-Lead actually stands for. You can find detailed information in the books by Dr. Markus Ebner or in my presentations and keynote speeches.
PERMA-Lead transfers the principles of the PERMA model (positive psychology) on leadership and focuses on the well-being of employees as the basis for sustainable success. This approach is not only ethically sensible, but also strategically clever, because the Study situation proves numerous positive effects.
The manager "only" has to ensure that the employees experience enough PERMA in their work - just like a good gardener ensures that the plants have enough fertilizer (which consists of various components). Incidentally, this also means not overfertilizing everything once and then not caring anymore, but fertilizing regularly 😉 ! You can also find many practical examples of how to implement this in my Toolbox.
- 😊 P - Enables positive emotions: Managers actively try to promote positive emotions at work, for example by appreciating their employees, laughing with them or giving them space to laugh and ideally also having and spreading a good mood themselves.
- 💪🏻 E - Promotes individual commitment: The manager should know what strengths the employees have and try to use these in a targeted manner so that they can live out many of these strengths in their work.
- 🤝 R - Creates sustainable relationships: This is largely about psychological safety, i.e. creating a culture based on trust, where the focus is on learning from mistakes and where everyone feels welcome and valued for their qualities.
- 💭 Conveys meaning in the work (Meaning): Managers should explain the meaning of the work, of individual work steps, but also of decisions and changes, and thus take the employees with them. This also included, for example, explaining the needs of other organizational units and demonstrating the overall purpose of certain activities or processes.
- 🍾 Makes achievements visible (Accomplishment): Work never stops. There's something to do every day. A classic hamster wheel. This makes it all the more important to be aware of what you have actually achieved. Feeling this self-efficacy is, for example, an important resilience factor for burnout. Managers can play a decisive role in ensuring that employees are aware of their small successes. And praise and, if possible, celebrate major successes in front of others!
Conclusion
Read the books, ask me for a lecture, get infected. Positive leadership is really fun and good for you! If you want to stay on the ball, have a look at my LinkedIn or Insta over - and don't forget the Toolbox to look at. Give it a try 😊!