In recent weeks I faced quite some pressure and stressors that challenged me, especially in the context of projecting positivity and confidence towards my team around our mission and success chances in the big picture.
Why did I feel that way? Without going into the details let’s just say I work in the corporate world. Being a leader there often comes with a shit sandwich in the flavor of politics, disagreement on strategy, short-term thinking, and other challenges that make it hard to progress on critical topics. In the last weeks the intensity spiked and it definitely tested me.
I am sure that all of you experience similar or more severe challenges from time to time that make you struggle with staying positive. This episode, however, just reminded me of why it is so important to project positivity and confidence towards your team and the people you lead. It also showed me again how important constant mental practice is to staying positive and re-adjusting your own view from time to time.
Definition of positivity for this article:
Before we jump into it, I would like to define what I mean with positivity in this context. We likely all heard about healthy and toxic positivity. With toxic positivity, I associate the disregard of natural human emotions as well as a detachment from the real world.
For example: invalidating any negative emotions you feel as well as ignoring real issues that need to be addressed.
Healthy positivity on the other hand acknowledges that there are emotional ups and downs and looks at the real world as it is. There will be problems & challenges. Staying positive here means that you stay open-minded, curious, empathic, and keep an optimistic belief that you can address any obstacle that arises.
As a leader, I believe that there are two aspects that we need to consider. One is the personal capability to remain positive and the impact this has on an individual level. The other is the impact on the psychological capital of an organization or team as well as its effect on performance.
The importance of positivity on a personal level
Studies and experiments have shown that staying positive creates a cycle of success. A positive mindset enhances many key attributes that drive performance and lead to a higher likelihood of achieving your goals.
Some key attributes that can be influenced a positive mindset are:
- Motivation: Positivity fuels intrinsic motivation. When you maintain a positive outlook, you’re more likely to be enthusiastic about your pursuits, which keeps you driven and committed to putting in the effort required for success.
- Adaptability: Positivity helps you adapt to change more effectively. In a rapidly evolving world, those who embrace change with a positive attitude can turn disruptions into opportunities for growth and innovation.
- Problem-Solving: A positive mindset encourages creative problem-solving. When faced with challenges, you’re more likely to approach them with an open mind, exploring a range of solutions and thinking outside the box.
- Resilience: Positivity builds emotional resilience. It helps you bounce back from setbacks, failures, and disappointments, enabling you to persevere despite obstacles and continue working towards your goals.
- Relationships: A positive demeanor fosters better relationships with colleagues, collaborators, and mentors. People are drawn to those who exude positivity, which can lead to valuable connections and opportunities.
- Decision-Making: A positive mindset promotes rational decision-making. When you approach decisions optimistically, you’re more likely to focus on the potential benefits rather than getting bogged down by potential risks.
- Networking: A positive attitude makes networking and social interactions more enjoyable and productive. It enables you to make a lasting impression on others, which can lead to collaboration, mentorship, and career opportunities.
- Confidence: Positivity boosts self-confidence. When you believe in yourself and your abilities, you’re more likely to take calculated risks, seize opportunities, and showcase your talents effectively.
- Productivity: A positive mindset enhances productivity. When you approach tasks with enthusiasm and a belief in your ability to accomplish them, you’re more likely to work efficiently and produce high-quality results.
Practices to stay positive & confident
Aside from the impact on a personal level, I find it difficult to project positivity and confidence towards others when my internal world does not reflect that. As a leader, you have a bigger impact and ripple effect on those around you which makes it really important for me to constantly practice and monitor my thoughts.
Admittedly, I am not perfect and sometimes I fail to stay completely in this mindset. Practice helps me to more often than not to achieve it.
Here are the concrete practices that help me reset myself:
- Focus on what you can control & take action: Whenever I start feeling overwhelmed, I try to remember what things I can actually control and tell myself to focus on them and take action (motion creates emotion). For example:
- You might not control the outcome of a meeting or how others think, but you can control your preparation for it and how well you prime the participants upfront.
- You might not be in control of a decision that you are confronted with, but you can control how you let it impact you and how you deal with it.
- Write down your thoughts & feelings and structure them: This practice is somewhat related to self-reflection & affirmations. I found that if I feel overwhelmed or drifting towards negativity, it helps me to formulate my thoughts by writing down what is in my head. It gives me a feeling of control and also forces me to structure and articulate my thoughts and feelings. Once they are on paper, I begin to assess them and come up with priorities and a plan. I also try to identify negative thought patterns and consciously replace them.
- Look back at your and your team’s past achievements & progress: I find this particularly useful whenever I get started to be frustrated about the speed of progress, office politics, pushback, and similar situations. We often overestimate what we can achieve in a day and underestimate what we can achieve over a year. When I look back on what the team or I achieved in the last 6-12 months, it puts everything back into perspective and gives me a boost in confidence.
- Positive networking, talk to your mentor, peers and get constructive feedback: This one is big for me, as I often find it immediately lifts my mood and changes my perspective even just after a short talk or exchange. In case I feel frustrated or find myself drifting towards negativity, I will try to engage with either colleagues, my boss, or mentors and get their perspective and feedback. Ideally, you find people who share a generally positive outlook and who you trust. In this regard, I consider myself very lucky as I am surrounded by awesome people.
Of course, there are way more practices out there. The above are just the ones I really use and they work for me. In the end, you will have to figure out what works best for you. Therefore, I would like to share a couple of other often-mentioned options & tactics:
- Mindfulness Meditation: Practice mindfulness to stay present, reduce stress, and maintain a positive perspective.
- Journaling: Write down your thoughts, goals, and successes. Documenting your journey helps track progress and reinforces positivity.
- Gratitude Practice: write down three things you’re grateful for daily. This practice shifts your focus towards positivity.
- Visualize Success: Regularly visualize achieving your goals. This technique boosts confidence and primes your mind for success.
- Limit Negative Inputs: Minimize exposure to negative news or people that drain your energy and positivity.
- Stay Curious and Open-Minded: Approach challenges with a growth mindset, viewing them as opportunities to learn and improve.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate even minor achievements within your projects or team.
- Set Realistic Goals: Establish achievable milestones that align with your business objectives. Success breeds positivity.
- Continuous Learning: Invest time in learning and skill development. Progressing in your field enhances confidence.
- Prioritize Self-Care: Balance work with personal time for relaxation, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones.
- Learn from Setbacks: View setbacks as learning opportunities. Analyze what went wrong and how you can improve moving forward.
Pick and experiment – use the ones that are most practical and efficient for you. Only if you practice those methods on a regular basis will it be effective. Similar to learning a language or practicing sport you only get better with repetition and conscious practice.
Now that you are equipped with the means to build up your own positivity and confidence, let’s discuss why it is so important to project those attributes towards your team.
The impact of a positive leader on organizations and teams
I would like to point out that I believe it becomes more important than ever to project positivity as in many fields the problems teams face become ever more complex. Such complex problem situations tend to negatively influence employees’ motivation and problem-solving performance. This effect seems to increase with the fast pace of technological change and the flattening of the world in terms of working across distance, time, economies, and cultural boundaries.
Think back, maybe you experienced that phenomenon firsthand (I certainly have). Those moments when you are confronted with such a complex issue that you feel temporarily overwhelmed or stifled until you start breaking it down into manageable steps.
To combat this natural depressor you as a leader need to actively work on building up the positive psychological capital in your team/organization.
In the most common literature, as well as studies, it has been confirmed that by presenting a positive and confident front towards your employees and colleagues you can favourable influence:
- Motivation and Morale: A positive leader can inspire and motivate their team members. Positivity fosters a sense of enthusiasm, dedication, and optimism among team members, leading to increased productivity and higher morale. When people feel supported and encouraged, they are more likely to give their best effort.
- Resilience: Positivity helps leaders and teams build resilience. In the face of challenges and setbacks, a positive leader can maintain composure, make rational decisions, and guide the team through difficult times. A positive attitude promotes a “can-do” spirit that encourages everyone to persevere and find solutions.
- Effective Communication: Positive leaders tend to communicate more openly and transparently. They are more likely to provide constructive feedback, listen actively to their team members’ concerns, and maintain a clear and respectful communication style. This leads to better understanding and cooperation within the team.
- Creativity and Innovation: A positive work environment encourages creativity and innovation. When employees feel safe to share their ideas and take calculated risks without fearing criticism, they are more likely to come up with novel solutions and contribute to the organization’s growth.
- Team Building: Positive leaders create a sense of unity and camaraderie among team members. This makes it easier to build strong working relationships, collaborate effectively, and harness the diverse strengths of the team. A positive leader also fosters a culture of inclusivity and mutual support.
- Reduced Stress and Burnout: A positive leader helps mitigate stress and burnout among team members. By promoting a balanced work-life atmosphere and showing empathy toward individual well-being, leaders can prevent chronic stress and its negative effects on both physical and mental health.
- Enhanced Problem-Solving: Positive leaders approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset. They focus on opportunities rather than obstacles and encourage their team to brainstorm and implement creative solutions. This approach leads to quicker and more effective problem-solving.
- Employee Engagement and Retention: Employees are more likely to stay engaged and committed to their work when they have a positive leader. Leaders who express genuine care and interest in their employees’ development can foster a sense of loyalty, leading to higher retention rates.
- Role Modeling: A positive leader sets an example for their team members. By demonstrating resilience, optimism, and a proactive attitude, leaders encourage their teams to adopt similar qualities, thus promoting a positive organizational culture.
- Performance Improvement: When leaders focus on the positive aspects of their team’s work, they can provide constructive feedback in a way that inspires growth and improvement. This leads to better performance and professional development for team members.
To sum it up: you should exhibit optimism, confidence, and resilience in your demeanor and communication. By doing so, you can inspire and motivate team members, foster a sense of unity, and create an environment that encourages collaboration, innovation, and effective problem-solving. Projecting positivity helps build trust, boost morale, and ultimately contributes to the success and well-being of both you (the leader) and the team.
Let me know your thoughts and this! Do you have any great tools or strategies you use to stay positive?
In case you want to learn more – here are some good sources:
- https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1137&context=managementfacpub
- Good to Great” by Jim Collins
- “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek
- “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek
- “The One Minute Manager” by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
- “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu (though not exclusively about leadership, it’s often studied for its leadership principles)
- “The Power of Positive Leadership” by Jon Gordon
- “Hal Moore on Leadership: Winning when Outgunned and Outmanned” by Hal Moore & Mike Guardia
