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The Standard Deviation of a Smile: Quantifying Why "Mean" Bosses Ruin Productivity. - Ideas for Leaders

The Standard Deviation of a Smile: Quantifying Why “Mean” Bosses Ruin Productivity.

Idea #936

The Standard Deviation of a Smile: Quantifying Why “Mean” Bosses Ruin Productivity.

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A University of Nottingham study finds that leadership quality based on soft skills of leadership can be linked empirically to organizational success and worker health. The study is based on statistical analyses of two nationwide UK surveys that generated responses from more than 40,000 employees and leaders in nearly 5000 companies. These analyses reveal that an increase in leadership quality by one standard deviation significantly boosts perceived organizational performance by 0.27 standard deviations and worker job satisfaction by 0.73 standard deviations, while reducing job anxiety by 0.13 standard deviations.


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Idea conceived

March 13, 2026

Idea posted

Nov 2025
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