What Is “Awe”—and Why Is It So Darn Good for Your Company Culture?
Have you ever witnessed something so amazing it brought tears to your eyes? Put a lump in your throat? Or stopped you dead in your tracks?
You might never have thought about it until now, but that intense physical, emotional and mental response is the emotion of awe.
Awe Is Good for Us …
Neuroscientists have been studying how the emotion of awe affects us. They’ve discovered:
AWE calms us down, relieves stress, and is an antidote to burnout
AWE creates space for reflection and deep thinking, which supercharges our curiosity and creativity
AWE gives us perspective and enhances our decision-making and complex reasoning
AWE expands our willingness to try new things
AWE deepens our relationships with ourselves and others
AWE connects us to purpose and meaning
AWE makes us feel great!
Best of all, research shows that for our brains and bodies, awe is awe is awe. In other words, you get the same positive effects whether you kayak through churning Class IV rapids, hike to the floor of the Grand Canyon, or pause to notice the butterflies dancing in your front yard.
… And It’s Great for Every Aspect of Business and Culture
You don’t need to be a neuroscientist to see how an infusion of awe might help boost every aspect of your business culture—from communication and collaboration to motivation and morale. Enabling your team to experience awe (especially in the great outdoors) cultivates connections. It expands boundaries and perceptions. It deepens humility, allowing leaders and teams to break down barriers and perform better. Just imagine what can happen when you and your colleagues all stand in awe of each other’s superpowers!
(Also worth noting: Regular doses of awe boosts the immune system, which means fewer sick days for employees—and higher productivity across your company.)
At Live Bright Now, we encourage teams to experience the benefits of awe by taking them out of the conference room and into the outdoors to tackle their stickiest business challenges. Our customized Adventure + Awe programs safely push teams beyond their comfort zone to expand capabilities, competency, and confidence.
If you want to help your team perform at new levels while also feeling more inspired, creative, and fulfilled, why not start by leveraging the incredible power and simplicity of the emotion of awe?
Need help connecting teams and leaders to a greater purpose at work? I’d love to help.