Have you ever listened to the radio station WIIFM? I’m surprised if you haven’t. It has the power to broadcast all over the world, and my experience, both personal and professional, leads me to believe that everyone tunes in to this station—sooner rather than later. WIIFM stands for What’s In It For Me. Get it?

Face it, we all run ideas, decisions, and problems through the filter that answers the question How will this affect me? When we can estimate the effect, even if it’s not positive, we can move into action. When we can’t figure out what’s going on, we often find ourselves paralyzed by the fear of the unknown. This question is an attempt to understand an important workplace process.

Promotions within an organization are often quite mysterious. It appears that some people rise quickly based on who they know with little regard to what they know. Some talented, smart people appear to be overlooked, and sometimes a good guy wins the promotional lottery. It’s hard to figure out if promotions are based on skills, personality, or hat size. Jobs are posted and filled on the same day. No wonder people are confused. You need to help clear up the confusion by talking about the answer to this question.

First of all, do your homework. How are people chosen for promotion? Does your organization use their values as a primary screening tool for advancement, or does job-specific competency supersede all other considerations? Are your policies administered uniformly, or are they bent on a regular basis? Does who you know matter more than what you know? Once you have a clear picture of your current reality and implement any changes that you may decide are necessary, start composing your response to this question. I believe that there are three parts to a promotion decision. Your answer should cover all three.

1. What skills does this person bring to the job? Every position needs technical competencies in both the hard and soft skill areas. People must understand that they need to take charge of their own skill development if they want promotional opportunities within the organization. You need to help them discover what skill sets the organization expects for a successful future.

2. What behaviors does this person exhibit in their current position? Jobs are not just about getting the task done; they’re about how you go about getting the job done, too. People need to understand that their ability to work effectively on a team, offer creative ideas, and learn continuously will affect their promotional opportunities within the organization. You need to help them match their behaviors with the organization’s values.

3. What attitudes does this person bring to work every day? Organizational attitudes are the composite of the attitudes of all people who work there. People need to understand that most often, attitudes are an initial screening device for promotion. You need to ensure that all employees are given feedback regularly, not just once a year at review time, about how their attitudes are perceived throughout the organization.

Let me admit it right up front—this is a bias. I believe that fundamentally unhappy people make poor leaders. This statement might cause you to pause. If we were having a conversation, I’d be able to see your reaction in your eyes, and I’d repeat myself for emphasis. So let me repeat. I believe that fundamentally unhappy people make poor leaders.

In an age of cynicism, the importance of happiness as a key part of the human condition gets lost or overlooked. Young children are envied for their happiness, but it is credited to their ignorance of the world’s harsh realities. “It’s easy for them,” we say. “They don’t have a care in the world. Oh, to be like that again. I know too much to go around happy all the time.” I’m willing to admit that there is some truth in that statement. Sometimes ignorance makes it easier to be happy, but the opposite isn’t true. You don’t have to be ignorant in order to be happy. What so many people seem to lose sight of is that happiness, much like ignorance, isn’t a state, it is a choice. If you are ignorant, you can choose to get smarter. If you are unhappy, you can choose to become happy. Choosing happiness doesn’t mean that you banish all concerns and troubles. Happiness simply means that you understand all the sides of an issue, good and bad, and choose to be happy anyway.

What, you may be asking, does this have to do with leadership? Everything, I think. Happiness is born from optimism. Optimism is embedded in beliefs such as “Problems can be solved,” “Good ultimately triumphs over evil,” and “Joy is a birthright of all individuals.” Without an underlying positive belief system, leadership rings hollow. You cannot inspire people to try again if you don’t really believe that success is possible. You can’t comfort people during tough times if you don’t believe that tough times pass. You can’t lead if you don’t have faith in an uncertain future.

So, are you happy? Don’t worry if your answer is no. You can choose a different answer when you ask yourself the question again, and then get to work to make your answer true. The people around you will be glad you gave this question a second look.

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