Are you a cheerful, hopeful and fun-loving boss? Do you dish out the praise and seek out the positive in any given situation? If so, it’s a good bet that your team are happy to be around you. That’s because your enthusiasm is contagious, which makes your world—and theirs—a little (or a lot) better.
But does positivity make you an effective leader?
Jon Gordon, author of “The Power of Positive Leadership: How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World” puts it like this:
“A lot of people roll their eyes when they hear about positive leadership. They think positive leaders are nice, undisciplined, happy-go-lucky people who smile all the time and believe that results are not important. On the contrary, positive leadership consistently helps organizations thrive and inspires teams to get results.” [source]
Well, I couldn’t have put it better myself.
As a Certified CliftonStrengths coach, I see positivity as not only a constructive emotion but also an extremely useful talent. A talent that can transform your style of leadership and produce real, tangible benefits in the workplace.
And if you’re more of a half-glass-empty type of person?
Fortunately, positivity is like any other leadership skill, trait, or habit. It can be developed and harnessed. You may find it hard to radiate optimism, especially in the face of challenging circumstances, but you can learn how to create a general and consistent atmosphere of positivity for your team.
Let’s look a little closer at what it means to be a positive leader, and then consider a few ways to build on this important leadership quality.
The Definition of a Positive Leader
According to Gallup, which developed the CliftonStrengths Assessment, Positivity is one of 34 natural talents. Leaders who have an abundance of this talent are upbeat, have a good sense of humor, and can motivate others to be excited about their work. They exude energy and enthusiasm, and this rubs off on the team.
Quick to overcome setbacks and able to see the good in every situation, positive leaders excel at strengthening connections. If you’re passionate, forward-looking and have a knack for enhancing collaboration and encouraging others, it’s highly likely you’re exploiting a ton of positivity.
Why Consider Positivity a Useful Leadership Trait?
Over the last few decades, study after study has shown that positive emotions are beneficial for our mental wellbeing and physical health. But they can also help us to become better leaders. That’s because they support us in becoming more resourceful, resilient and socially connected.
The benefits of being a positive leader include:
- A higher-performing team that’s injected with enthusiasm
- A focus on the problem and the future rather than the person and the past
- A workplace culture that embraces accountability and success
- A policy of encouragement and continual improvement
Happily, we don’t have to experience positive emotions 24 hours a day to benefit from them (impossible even for those blessed with the sunniest of dispositions). Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, perhaps best known for her “broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions” believes that even short-lived moments of positivity can amass in our sub-conscious over time.
The accumulation of pleasant emotional states, no matter how fleeting, helps us to build lasting personal resources to manage negative emotions at work. We see things in a broader context. That encourages us to not only integrate better with colleagues and customers but also consider more options when making decisions. A wider perspective and deeper relationships allow us to be more creative leaders.
What Does It Mean to Practice Positive Leadership?
There’s much more to being a positive leader than developing an optimistic and sunny personality. It’s about implementing positive practices in the workplace. And the results are well worth the effort, according to Prof. Kim Cameron, the foremost expert on positive relational energy and co-founder of the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan.
In his book “Practicing Positive Leadership,” Cameron explains that “positive leadership practices produce results that exceed normal or expected performance.” Years of empirical research by various scholars and tons of anecdotal evidence confirm that positive practices are good not just for an organization’s bottom line but also for the individual worker.
What this boils down to is that you—as a leader—can influence the results that you, your team and your organization produce by adopting a positive leadership style.
Is There a Danger of Being Too Positive?
As the popular maxim says, you can have too much of a good thing. That applies to positivity as well. It’s possible to overdo the humor and enthusiasm. Plus, a love of drama can be tiring for some people. If you’re brimming with positivity, try to be sensitive to the situation and other people’s reactions.
While it’s admirable to find the positive in every scenario, it’s not always appropriate to manufacture cheerfulness. Merrymaking at a particularly stressful or worrying time is more likely to annoy rather than encourage your team. Therefore, temper eagerness with mindfulness.
6 Ways to Cultivate Positive Leadership
Now that we have a better understanding of positivity as a leadership skill, let’s consider how you can practice creating a positive atmosphere at work:
- Strengthen your relationships with micro-moments
Spend time talking to colleagues, and not just those in your team. Meaningful connections, even with strangers, can become “goldmines of positive emotions,” according to Dr Fredrickson. Whether it’s sharing a joke or simply passing the time of day, brief interactions with others can give you a boost and help you develop healthy and beneficial relationships. - Find your own encourager to overcome internal negativity
It can be difficult to overcome criticism and pessimism when it’s coming from within you. Therefore, find a mentor at work you can give you the right support. A word of encouragement at the end of the day will soon get you back on track. Alternatively, work with a leadership coach to move past emotional blocks and experience more positivity in the workplace. - Deal calmly and firmly with external negativity
When those around you are unconstructive, it’s tempting to either walk away or tell them to “stop being so negative.” Neither tactic works. Show empathy, seek understanding, avoid blame, and offer help. However, do this with composure and make sure you set firm boundaries. At the end of the day, you’re still the boss. - Pay attention to the good things about your job
When you’re busy meeting targets and dealing with difficult employees, it can be easy to overlook the positive aspects of your job. Practice gratitude every day by thinking of at least five things to be thankful for. Even better, write them down. By getting into the habit of appreciating your blessings, you’ll learn to put any situation into perspective. - Offer support and encouragement to team members
Positive leaders are known for lifting people’s spirits. When you see members of your team become discouraged or afraid to take risks, demonstrate your confidence in them. Remind them of past wins, make them laugh about your own failures, and be ready to coach them. A lighthearted (but sincere) attitude can provide the impetus they need to keep moving. - Do more celebrating
Boost team morale by celebrating every team or individual achievement. This can be as simple as highlighting accomplishments during a meeting or coffee break, planning a social gathering at the end of a project, or regularly handing out certificates and thank you notes. To ensure no one is left out, be creative with what makes an achievement. It’s not always about the big wins.
Conclusion
Some people are naturally more positive than others. Whichever camp you fall into, you can learn to harness the power of positivity in the workplace. By training yourself to become a more positive leader, you’ll find yourself several steps closer to achieving the results you’re looking for.