This week we continue our post from last week, exploring the 9 things positive leaders do. As an executive coach who works with high-performing, entrepreneurs who want to scale their organizations to the next level, I have seen first-hand the importance of modelling these qualities
Leading Blog offers us a summary of Jon’ Gordon’s key takeaways:
4. Positive Leaders Confront, Transform, and Remove Negativity
“Positive leadership is not just about feeding the positive, but also about weeding out the negative.” You must address negativity. Develop a culture where negativity is not acceptable. People will either change or leave.
A positive leader is more positive than the negativity they face. Every negative situation is an opportunity to strengthen your positivity. Don’t allow complaining unless one or two possible solutions are brought forward also. “Complaining causes you and your team to focus on everything but being your best.”
5. Positive Leaders Create United and Connected Teams
“Positive leaders unite instead of divide. They are able to create unity, which is the difference between a great team and an average team.”
It starts at the top. “As a positive leader, you must be a unifier and connector who fosters relationship between others.”
“You can be the smartest person in the room but if you fail to connect with others you will fail as a leader.” Also, “You may not have the most talented people on your team, but if you are a connected team, you will outperform many talented teams who lack a close bond.”
6. Positive Leaders Build Great Relationships and Teams
People first follow who you are. “Leadership begins with love.” Love your people. Build relationships first. Too many leaders share rules before they have first built a relationship. I’ve had many leaders tell me,” writes Gordon, “that when they focus less on rules and invest more in their relationships they experience a dramatic increase in performance, morale, and engagement.”
Positive leaders are also positive communicators. They smile. They spread positive gossip. They listen and welcome ideas. They rely on positive non-verbal communication. They encourage.
7. Positive Leaders Pursue Excellence
Not satisfied with the status quo, positive leaders pursue excellence. “How can I get better to make the world better?”
Positive leaders are humble and never stop learning. Pablo Casals, one of the greatest cellists of all time, was asked why he continued to practice the cello at the age of 95. He said, “Because I think I’m making progress.”
Positive leaders ask daily: “What do I need to know that I don’t know?” and “What do I need to unlearn to learn?”
8. Positive Leaders Lead with Purpose
Purpose fuels positivity. “Hard work doesn’t make us tired. A lack of purpose is what makes us tired. We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.”
Have purpose driven goals. “The truth is that numbers and goals don’t drive people. People with a purpose drive the numbers and achieve goals.”
9. Positive Leaders Have Grit
“When we look at successful companies and organizations, we see their current success and prominence but what we don’t see is the leadership and grit that powered them through all the failure and moments of doubt, heartache, fear, and pain.”
Positive leaders embrace failure and trust the process. “Leadership is knowing the critics will criticize you while still saying what needs to be said and doing what needs to be done.”
Positive leadership is a choice. Through great stories, Gordon encourages you to make a positive difference as a leader.”
I believe that leaders who focus on developing themselves and their teams through the use of 360’s coaching and ongoing growth and accountability processes are able to thrive, even in the most challenging of times.
I invite you to post your comments here. For more information on how you can extend your impact through these 9 important leadership qualities, contact me at susan@stepupleader.com