You don’t have to have a positive
attitude to have a leadership role, and you don’t even have to have it to lead.
But you definitely must have a positive
attitude if you want to lead successfully for an extended period of time.
Positive attitude means an expectancy that good things will
generally happen, (and that even when they don’t there is likely good that will
be found in the challenges) and a healthy optimism for the future for your
company, team, yourself and life in general.
Here are three major reasons having a positive attitude is
important for you as a leader.
You are in the energy
business
As a leader, whatever industry you are in, you are in the
energy business. Remember that whatever energy you bring to your work will be
noticed and amplified. Your personal attitude is a huge part of the energy you
inject into your team and organisation. If you aren’t injecting positive,
supportive and encouraging thoughts and actions into the workplace, it is far
less likely that others will either. You can’t rely on someone else to do this
for you—you are a leader.
Positive attracts
If you think you are leading, but no one is following, you
are just taking a walk. If you want to or need to lead, you need to have others
choose to follow. Think about the people that you most want to be around, those
whom you are attracted to. Are those people more positive or negative? Do you
want to choose to spend time with people who think the future looks dim or
bright? Would you rather be around people who encourage and are proactive, or
those who focus on the negative and who think about the future with a “gloom
and doom” approach? Positive attitude and energy are attractive. The best
leaders know this and that is a major reason they lead successfully.
Positive creates
productivity
Are you more productive in a negative or a positive
environment? In which atmosphere are you likely to be more creative, engaged
and get more done? If you are looking
for a numbers driven, bottom line reason why a positive attitude matters in
your organisation, look no further than productivity. People will get more done in a positive
environment.
If you are wondering if it is possible for one person to
change the attitude or environment in an organization, and therefore have the
impact just described, remember this: Enthusiasm
is contagious, and someone must inject that energy into a group, team or
organisation in order for it to grow. Positive energy doesn’t happen
automatically, someone must start. As in many other ways, leaders must go
first.
You must go first.
If you want to be a
more successful leader and have a bigger impact on those you lead and serve,
focus on your attitude and know that as you change your thinking and your
attitude, your actions will start to change your work, your team and your
world.
