What do we need to flourish?
In conversation with Wolfhart Pentz

What do we need to flourish? How do our beliefs and attitudes influence the aging process? And what role do gratitude and social ties play in our well-being? I was able to talk about this with Dr. Wolfhart Pentz, an expert in positive psychology.

By Robert Eysoldt, August 2024

On my journey through the complex world of aging, this time I had the pleasure of speaking to Wolfhart Pentz. Wolfhart is Head of Leadership Services at Egon Zehnder, an international consulting firm for executives. He is also a certified consultant for positive psychology at the Harvard Institute of Coaching and a professor for leadership and personnel development at Quadriga University, Berlin.

And it was there that I got to know and appreciate Wolfhart as a very inspiring trainer during my training as a systemic business coach.

Our conversation on the 7th floor of the Beisheim Center at Potsdamer Platz was just as inspiring as the sweeping view over the Tiergarten. Unfortunately, the leather chairs were very noisy and at the end of our conversation the cleaning team approached with a vacuum cleaner. I apologize for that.

Here is a brief summary of my key learnings:

1. Positive Psychology is about what people need to flourish. But it is also about accepting and processing so-called negative feelings. They are important signals for our further development … if we don’t sink into endless brooding.

2. Studies have shown that our beliefs and attitudes can influence aging processes. A positive mindset can slow down these processes, while negative thoughts can speed them up.

3. Gratitude is an essential component of well-being … and close social relationships and a sense of belonging are fundamental to happiness and health.

4. To deal with the pressures of modern life, it is essential to develop awareness and mindfulness to notice what is happening around you.

5. With increasing age and less professional pressure, there is more room for personal freedom. And this is a time when you can rethink your own identity and adapt it if necessary; also because your self-image changes with age and the experiences you have had. And such changes can be integrated quite well and used positively.

Many thanks Wolfhart!

Here are some interesting links:
— Egon Zehnder
— Martin Seligman, American psychologist,
— Positive Psychology
— The Harvard Study of Adult Development
— The Harvard Gazette: Good genes are nice, but joy is better
— Ellen Langer, Professor in the Psychology Department at Harvard University
— Counterclockwise Study by Ellen Langer
— Herminia Ibarra, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School