Introduction

At the 10th IPMA SENET Conference in Belgrade, themed Beyond Success: Happiness and Wellbeing in the Project Environment, Dr. Efrosyni Konstantinou challenged delegates to reflect on a deceptively simple question: 

Can we really be happy?

In a keynote that combined philosophy, leadership and project management, she argued that happiness is not something that can be acquired through success, status or material achievement. Instead, she proposed that the path to happiness lies in our relationship with ourselves and in the responsibility we take for the choices we make.

As she told delegates:

“We can be happy, but there is a price to pay.”

For project professionals working in an increasingly complex world, her message was both timely and challenging. As projects become central to addressing society’s most pressing problems, understanding the relationship between leadership, responsibility and happiness in the project environment becomes increasingly important.

Grand Challenges Require a Human-Centred Response

Dr. Konstantinou began by highlighting the scale of the challenges facing society today.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, war, inequality, social fragmentation, declining wellbeing and economic instability are not isolated issues. They are interconnected challenges occurring simultaneously and competing for the same finite pool of resources.

Dr. Konstantinou argued that these challenges require more than policy, technology or regulation. They require a new ethos and a human-centred response capable of inspiring people to take a strategic stake in their own future and the future of generations to come.

For project professionals, this message is particularly significant. Strategic projects are among the primary mechanisms through which societies seek to address these challenges. Projects create the spaces where diverse groups come together to innovate, collaborate and develop solutions capable of delivering meaningful change.

In this sense, project professionals have a critical role to play—not only in delivering projects, but in helping shape the future those projects create.

Why Happiness Matters 

Can project success alone make people happy? 

The keynote then shifted from global challenges to the personal consequences of those challenges.

According to Dr. Konstantinou, the Grand Challenges threaten something deeply important: our happiness.

Happiness can be experienced through relationships, work, nature, within the built environment, culture and contribution to society.

Dr. Konstantinou argued that happiness is not found in wealth, status, fame, technology, consumerism or dependency. The assumption that happiness lies in external relationships or achievements was also challenged by Dr. Konstantinou.

“The source of happiness is not even our relationship with work, family, children, profession, religion, society or nature.”

Instead, she argued that happiness begins much closer to home.

Happiness in the Project Environment Starts with the Self

At the heart of the keynote was a belief that human nature is inherently good.

Dr. Konstantinou argued that people are fundamentally kind and good, but that social, political and economic harshness can distance individuals from that natural goodness.

This distinction is important because it shifts the discussion away from external circumstances and towards personal responsibility.

At the centre of her argument was a simple but powerful proposition:

“The source of happiness lies in the relationship we have with ourselves.”

Unlike wealth, status, organisations or even relationships, the self remains within our sphere of influence. While many aspects of life are outside our control, we retain responsibility for the person we choose to be.

This does not mean becoming self-centred or ignoring others. On the contrary, it means working consciously on ourselves so that we can contribute positively to the lives of others.

The Politics of the Self: The Price of Happiness

The defining concept of the keynote was what Dr. Konstantinou described as the politics of the self.

“If we are going to be happy, then we must take responsibility.”

The politics of the self is not about self-interest. Rather, it is the permanent internal conversation through which individuals reflect on who they are, what they believe and how they choose to act in the world. It requires us to bring our values into both our personal and professional lives.

She suggested that this requires three interconnected activities: Speaking with ourselves through reflection on future self and principles. Speaking to ourselves through conscious self-direction on our actions and decisions. Finally, speaking for ourselves by expressing our values through our actions.

The politics of the self therefore involves taking responsibility for the person we bring into our projects, organisations and communities.

As she noted, philosophers often describe this responsibility as unbearable. Yet her argument was optimistic: we can bear it, and we must bear it if we are to shape both our own happiness and the wellbeing of others.

Why Project Professionals Matter

What role do project professionals play in creating a happier and more sustainable future?

A particularly relevant aspect of the keynote was its connection to professional practice. Dr. Konstantinou argued that all the knowledge, systems and structures humanity has created have contributed, in one way or another, to the Grand Challenges we face today. Addressing those challenges therefore requires a new ethos.

The keynote therefore challenged delegates to consider not just how projects are delivered, but why they are delivered and what values guide the decisions made along the way.

Strategic projects are uniquely positioned to address the Grand Challenges by accelerating innovation, bringing stakeholders together and creating pathways towards a better future.

Project professionals therefore have responsibilities that extend beyond delivery. They also influence the social, environmental and ethical outcomes that projects create.

A Strategy for a Happier Future

Looking ahead, Dr. Konstantinou identified three priorities for creating happier and more responsible individuals and professions.

1. Develop and Inspire Senior Leaders

Senior leaders have a disproportionate influence on organisational culture, professional behaviour and decision-making. Their choices create ripple effects throughout teams, organisations and projects.

2. Strengthen Professional Bodies

Professional institutions play an essential role in defining standards, ethics and expectations. Strong professional bodies can help shape the values that guide entire sectors.

3. Develop Current and Future Professionals

Education and lifelong learning create long-term, intergenerational impact. By investing in the development of current and future professionals, organisations can influence how future leaders think, act and contribute to society.

Final Reflection

Dr. Konstantinou concluded the keynote with a one-minute reflection exercise that invited delegates to pause and consider three questions:

• Who will you choose to be today and what will you believe in?
• How will you use your endless power and potential?
• What is the meaning of your life and your happiness?

Key Takeaways

Key messages included the importance of self-reflection, personal responsibility, human-centred responses to global challenges, the role of project professionals in shaping society, and the need to develop leaders, professional bodies and future generations. 

The future implications are significant. As projects increasingly become vehicles for addressing complex social, environmental and economic challenges, technical competence alone will not be enough. Happiness in the project environment will depend not only on successful delivery, but also on the values, choices and responsibilities that individuals bring to their work.

The keynote left delegates with a clear challenge: happiness is possible, but it is not free. The price is the willingness to reflect; choose and take responsibility for the person we become.

IPMA Senet 2026 Blog by Teri Okoro, IPMA Global Individual Awards Coordinator