Is your virtual training inclusive and accessible? Does it provide opportunities for learners with disabilities such as low vision, Why do some teams rise under pressure while others stall? Why do some employees recover quickly from setbacks while others disengage?

The difference often comes down to belief.

In this session, Harvard researcher and positive psychology expert Shawn Achor shares new research from his latest work, The Power of Beliefs, revealing how beliefs shape effort, resilience, motivation, and performance. While managers focus on goals, incentives, and accountability, the beliefs people hold about themselves and their work quietly determine how they respond to challenge.

Building on the science behind The Happiness Advantage, Shawn introduces the Seven Core Power Beliefs—evidence-based beliefs that predict engagement, persistence, and long-term success across industries.

Senior leader at USAA, Gary Baker, joins the discussion to share practical insights from implementing these principles within a large, complex organization, highlighting how managers can reinforce performance beliefs in everyday interactions.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Strengthen the belief that “my behavior matters” to increase ownership
• Help teams recover from setbacks faster
• Reinforce meaning and purpose in daily work
• Replace negative team narratives with performance-building language
• Create environments where resilience and engagement grow naturally

Beliefs don’t just shape how people feel. They shape how they perform. When managers strengthen the right beliefs, teams don’t just improve morale—they improve results.
 

Shawn Achor is a New York Times bestselling author, Harvard-trained researcher, and one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between well-being and performance. Over 12 years at Harvard University, he won more than a dozen distinguished teaching awards before taking his groundbreaking positive psychology research to more than 50 countries and to more than one-third of the Fortune 100.

Shawn is the author of the bestselling books The Happiness Advantage, Before Happiness, and Big Potential, as well as the widely acclaimed business parable The Orange Frog. He is also the co-creator of the Happiness Advantage | Orange Frog Workshop, which helps organizations translate cutting-edge research into practical habits that drive engagement, resilience, and measurable performance gains.

His research on happiness and success has been featured on the cover of Harvard Business Review. His TED Talk is one of the most popular of all time, with over 27 million views, and his PBS lecture has been seen by millions worldwide. Shawn has worked with organizations including Microsoft, American Express, the NFL, and NASA.

He taught in the Advanced Management Program at Wharton Business School, conducted original research in collaboration with Yale University and Columbia University, and continues his research at the Institute for Applied Positive Research.

His upcoming book, The Power of Beliefs (Crown Currency, May 2026), explores how mindset drives sustainable performance. 

Gary Baker is a senior executive known for leading high-performing teams and strengthening organizational culture in large, complex environments. Throughout his executive leadership roles at USAA and Nationwide, Gary has exceeded performance targets while being a consistent top performer in areas such as engagement, talent development, service excellence, and organizational effectiveness.

His results reflect what Shawn Achor’s research has long demonstrated: when the principles of positive psychology are applied inside organizations — helping people experience greater meaning, connection, and intrinsic motivation in their work — measurable improvements in performance naturally follow.

Gary’s leadership approach integrates these principles into everyday operations, creating environments where people feel supported, energized, and committed to doing their best work. His experience shows that culture is not an abstract concept but a practical, scalable driver of sustained business success.

At WorldatWork, Gary will share insights from years of applying positive psychology across diverse teams — and how fostering intrinsically rewarding work ultimately leads to the extrinsic outcomes organizations aim to achieve.