Available Formats
Paperback
Published: 1st January 2026
Hardback
Published: 3rd July 2024
Paperback
Published: 25th July 2024
The Happy Index: Lessons on Upside-Down Management and Doing the Right Thing
By (Author) James Timpson
HarperCollins Publishers
HarperNorth
3rd July 2024
15th February 2024
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Management decision making
Business ethics and social responsibility
Family and Owner-Managed Companies
Business communication and presentation
Business strategy
Self-help, personal development and practical advice
Organizational theory and behaviour
Personnel and human resources management
658.409
Hardback
320
Width 159mm, Height 240mm, Spine 33mm
520g
Discover the secrets of upside-down management and doing the right thing with James Timpson's The Happy Index.
With over 2,000 locations across the UK and overseeing multiple operations daily for the past two decades, its fair to say that the CEO of the family-owned Timpson business knows a thing or two about running a successful company.
What makes James Timpsons approach to collaboration, profit and success is simple: let the people you hire run your business.
That might seem like a simple concept to a CEO, manager or director but if you think about the hundreds of meetings, hours lost from your day by responding to emails, signing off on projects and more, you will notice that you are still working in a traditional, top-down mindset. Doing this means the team you work with only see themselves as a cog in the machine instead of the trusted, valued colleagues that they are.
The Happy Index is structured into ten lessons that will provide you and the people you work with the tools to re-evaluate the ways you look at your business. Offering insight into the ways in which James has managed the family business, he strongly believes that you will see the benefits from working with an upside-down mindset, not only for success but also your teams wellbeing and happiness.
Really, though, its easy. Turn up on time. Trust your team. Do your work.
To come
James Timpson has been the CEO of the Timpson Group since 2002 and has overseen its growth to over 2,100 shops with brands including Timpson Locksmiths, Snappy Snaps, and Johnson the Drycleaners. More than half of the shops are now located in supermarkets and supermarket car parks through the Pod concept. Timpson's culture of Upside Down Management, based on trust and kindness, has been critical to its success, with a focus on ensuring colleagues are happy in their jobs, leading to the company being named one of the UK's best companies to work for. Timpson has also pioneered the recruitment of ex-offenders, employing over 600 prison leavers and supporting various prison charities and support groups. James Timpson is a Tate Trustee, Deputy Lieutenant of Cheshire, and Albert Medal winner from the RSA. He lives in Cheshire with his wife and three children. All proceeds from his book will go to the Prison Reform Trust.