You know the scene. The calendar is packed, your inbox is overflowing, and every conversation circles back to performance metrics and deadlines. In that kind of world, joy feels like something you’ll get to later, after the project is done, after the promotion, after the next milestone. But what if that thinking is costing you and your team more than you realize?

“Joy is the foundation.”

When Eunice Atuejide, lawyer, author of “Happiness is Free,” and clarity coach, shared this in our conversation on The Dr. Ginny Show, it stopped me in my tracks. What if joy wasn’t the reward after the work, but the very fuel that makes high performance possible?

This isn’t only a feel-good idea. Burnout is not simply a personal issue; it’s a business risk. Job-related burnout surged to 66% in 2025, according to Forbes, the highest it’s ever been. 

And when joy and well-being are missing, engagement, creativity, and retention suffer. Leaders without a strong sense of purpose and well-being unintentionally create ripple effects that touch every part of the organization, no matter the industry.

From the Law to Leading with Joy

Eunice’s leadership journey began in Nigeria, where she built a successful career before moving to the UK. Today, she is both a transformational leadership coach and she leads her life with joy at the center.

For Eunice, joy has never depended on circumstances. Even in the face of challenges, it remained part of how she led, worked, and lived. And here’s the takeaway for leaders: when you operate from a place of fullness, you have more to give to your teams, your peers, and your organization. 

This philosophy underpins her work, showing leaders that sustainable performance, growth, and impact all start with joy.

The Real Barriers to Happiness

What’s getting in the way of happiness for you or your team?
For many leaders, it’s not the deadlines or the demands. It’s a profound disconnection from themselves and from the people they lead. Even in an age of constant digital contact, many operate without a strong link to their own values, vision, and inner clarity, which often means they also lose touch with their team’s needs and strengths.

Disconnection has a cost. Leaders who lose touch with themselves and their teams struggle to inspire trust, maintain momentum, and create the environment their people need to thrive. Reconnecting to who you are at your core isn’t a “soft skill.” It’s a performance multiplier that drives better decisions, stronger relationships, and sustainable success.

Lead with service. Eunice recommends adopting a service-based leadership mindset. Instead of focusing only on directives and outcomes, ask: “How can I best serve my team?” This simple shift creates space for trust, vulnerability, and authenticity, and inspires team members to give their best because they feel seen, supported, and valued.

Vulnerability is the secret. Many leaders fear it, worrying it will invite judgment. Yet small acts, such as remembering a team member’s name, acknowledging a birthday, checking in on how they’re doing, build connection, trust, and loyalty.

When leaders operate this way, they lead from confidence, and their contributors respond with greater collaboration, innovation, and discretionary effort.

The Most Common Misconception About Happiness

Eunice shared that one of the biggest misconceptions she sees among leaders is the belief that happiness is something you earn after the milestone, the title, or the big project is complete. She rejects that idea entirely.

“Happiness is a performance driver.”

It is the place of joy, presence, and inner knowing from which you produce at your highest possible level, whether you are leading a team, building a business, or showing up for your family.

When joy is absent, leaders operate from hustle, stress, burnout, and perfectionism. In that state, the capacity to lead and create is diminished. When joy is present, clarity, creativity, and resilience expand, and so does the ability to achieve.

Eunice recommends choosing happiness now, before the promotion, before the deal closes, before the milestone, so leaders and their organizations can benefit immediately.

The Tools to Make Happiness Truly Free

Our conversation took us to this question: What tools can leaders use daily to build a foundation of joy and presence, for themselves and for the people they lead?

Eunice shared three essentials: forgiveness, gratitude, and contribution.

Forgiveness is about releasing the weight of grudges and past hurts, both toward others and toward yourself. Leaders who carry resentment often bring that heaviness into decision-making and relationships, which drains energy and erodes trust. Letting go is not just an act of compassion; it is a strategic reset that frees you to show up fully for your team and make clearer, more grounded choices.

Gratitude shifts the lens from what is missing to what is working. Eunice describes it as a daily discipline, not a one-off reflection. We agree that when leaders intentionally acknowledge wins, effort, and progress, their own and their team’s, it creates measurable boosts in morale, engagement, and resilience. Gratitude with perspective also widens empathy, reminding us of the privileges and resources we may take for granted.

Contribution closes the loop. Giving your time, attention, or resources, even in small ways like remembering a team member’s name or asking about their family, strengthens bonds and cultivates a culture where people feel valued. Leaders who model contribution inspire reciprocity, innovation, and loyalty, which directly influences retention and performance.

These are not “soft” practices. They are high-leverage leadership tools that elevate individual well-being, strengthen team cohesion, and drive measurable results. Leaders who commit to them daily enter each interaction with more clarity, energy, and presence, qualities that ripple through an organization and amplify its capacity to succeed.

Your Turn to Reflect

In Beyond the Hustle: Imagine if Happiness Were Truly Free, we explored what could shift if leaders stopped waiting for “someday” to feel fulfilled and instead embraced joy as the foundation for how they work and lead.

What would change if you, or the leaders in your organization, made joy a non-negotiable part of leadership? 

Which of these tools, forgiveness, gratitude, or contribution, could you start practicing today to reclaim your power as a leader or to elevate the leaders around you?

Eunice closed our conversation with a reminder that ties it all together: 

“Radical acceptance, of yourself and of others, is the sweetest place to start from.”

Imagine walking into a space where no one is judging you, where bias and fear are replaced by openness and trust. Imagine creating that kind of environment for your team, one where they feel seen, valued, and accepted exactly as they are.

Rather than seeing this approach as lowering the bar for performance, view it as elevating the standard for humanity in leadership. Love, acceptance, and authenticity are conditions for high performance, not optional ideals. They allow people to perform at their best, foster deep trust, and inspire loyalty. As Eunice reminded us, that is your next level as a leader.

We Are Here to Help You Navigate

This vlog, Beyond the Hustle – Imagine if Happiness Were Truly Free, is only a glimpse into our conversation, the concepts we explored, and the tools we shared. To hear the full dialogue and gain practical strategies you can apply immediately, follow the entire vlog on our YouTube channel below.

At ExecutiveBound, we know what it takes to lead in today’s demanding environment. The constant pressure to deliver results, inspire teams, and adapt to rapid change can drain even the most committed leaders. Add the risk of burnout, disengagement, or losing top talent, and the stakes are higher than ever.

We help leaders and organizations break that cycle, building trust, boosting engagement, and sustaining performance without sacrificing well-being. Our work is designed to help you thrive, not just survive, so that you can lead with clarity, energy, and impact.

If you are struggling in your professional journey or ready to take the next step in elevating your leadership or strengthening your organization’s culture, let’s connect at info@executivebound.com, join our ExecutiveBound Inner Circle community at https://drginnybaro.com, or schedule a Complimentary Discovery Session at https://introanddiscoverydrginny.youcanbook.me. Which leadership challenge would you like to solve first?

Lead with purpose, live with joy!
Coach Ginny

About Eunice Atuejide:

Eunice Atuejide is an author, public speaker, lawyer, and clarity coach who helps high-achieving business owners and professionals build success without burning out. She is the author of Happiness is Free, sharing practical, uplifting strategies for creating a life filled with purpose, well-being, and joy. Connect with Eunice at connect@vipeunice.com, visit https://vipeunice.com, or find her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/euniceatuejide/.