07/08/2021

Why Leaders Need to Remember to Enjoy Life

It can't be work 24/7

Almost 50 years ago, Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel, conducted his famous “marshmallow studies” with young children. The children were shown one marshmallow and told they could choose to eat it whenever they wanted. They were also told that, if they only waited a few minutes, they could have two marshmallows. They were given a choice between immediate gratification—eat one marshmallow now—versus delayed gratification—wait and get two marshmallows later.

Years later the achievement levels of these children were studied. What was the initial conclusion?

When they became older, children who waited for the two marshmallows were shown to have higher SAT scores, more educational achievement and lower body mass index. These findings led to Mischel’s book, The Marshmallow Test: Why Self-Control Is the Engine of Success.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Chief Executive.