The Center for Positive Leadership

The “Thinking It Through” tool, designed by Patty Payette, Ph.D., is designed to provide guidance and practice for being intentional while making decisions. “Thinking things through,” or critical thinking is a learned skill. We can get better at it the more we practice it and the more we engage with others in the process. This tool requires users to slow down and employ a step-by-step methodology as a process for developing this skill. The tool is based on the Elements of Thought from the Foundation for Critical Thinking. It can be used in professional settings and instructional settings, to help an individual or a group explicitly think through a decision, choice, or problem. Download it here: https://lnkd.in/gQcwKCvq To request the teaching note, please email:?[email protected]. #PositiveLeadership #Leadership #Decisiveness #CriticalThinking

The 2025 World Happiness Report emphasizes the profound impact of caring and sharing on global happiness levels. It reveals that acts of kindness not only uplift recipients but also enhance the well-being of those who give. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, benevolent behaviors surged worldwide and have remained about 10% higher than pre-pandemic levels. A key insight from the report is the significance of social connections. Regularly sharing meals with others is linked to higher happiness, while dining alone is associated with lower well-being. Additionally, living in households of up to four people correlates with increased happiness. Alarmingly, 19% of young adults globally reported lacking social support in 2023, marking a 39% increase since 2006. This underscores the urgent need to foster social connections and community engagement to combat rising loneliness. For the eighth consecutive year, Finland has been ranked the happiest country, with Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden following closely. In contrast, the United States has fallen to its lowest position ever, now ranking 24th. These findings highlight the critical role of positive leadership in promoting social connections and benevolence to enhance collective well-being. #WorldHappinessReport #PositiveLeadership #SocialConnections #Benevolence

Edgar Schein defines Humble Inquiry as “the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person." It asks us to consider the emotions, perspectives, and needs of stakeholders before crafting questions. Learn more by watching the recording from our Leadership Tools Showcase on Tuesday. The leadership tool can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gpfX-uJS #PositiveLeadership #HumbleInquiry #Curiosity #CPL

When two of our affiliated professionals, Zachary Goldman, PhD, and Brad Shuck, happen to cross paths in Portugal, it’s a reminder of the global impact they are both making in advancing good leadership practices! At our Center, we take pride in fostering collaboration among an incredible group of professionals. It’s even more rewarding to see them build meaningful connections and partnerships along the way. ??? We love that you randomly ran across each other! #PositiveLeadership #Leadership #GlobalImpact #CPL

We had an inspiring morning at our Leadership Tools Showcase, exploring the concept of humble inquiry—the art of drawing others out by asking thoughtful questions, fostering curiosity, and building meaningful relationships through genuine interest. Denise M. Cumberland, Ph.D., and Devon Vogler Twyford, PhD, led an engaging session on practicing humble inquiry in leadership, emphasizing key strategies: ? Ask open-ended questions (e.g., "What do you think about this?" instead of "Did you do it this way?"). ? Listen more than you speak, allowing space for thoughtful responses. ? Demonstrate genuine curiosity about others’ perspectives. ? Embrace uncertainty and remain open to learning from your team. ? Cultivate psychological safety, ensuring employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. It was a valuable discussion on how intentional inquiry strengthens leadership, trust, and collaboration! #PositiveLeadership #Leadership #HumbleInquiry #Curiosity

Compassion strengthens relationships, adds meaning to life, and shapes our character. It also impacts our workplaces—improving performance, fostering understanding, and bridging divides. Want to lead with more compassion? Explore our free leadership tools, focused on compassionate leadership. Check them out here: https://lnkd.in/gHdGpVXi #Compassion #Leadership #PositiveLeadership

Discover the transformative power of Humble Inquiry—an approach that fosters genuine curiosity, builds trust, and uncovers critical insights without intimidation. Based on Edgar Schein's groundbreaking work, this showcase is designed to help participants solve complex challenges by developing meaningful relationships. In this session, you will practice scenario-based interactions and develop questions encouraging dialogue and driving insights. Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at Shelby Campus, Burhans Hall, Room 162. 7:30 AM Breakfast and Networking. Programming begins promptly at 8:00 AM. Register Here: https://lnkd.in/g76Vu_Bp #PositiveLeadership #Leadershipi #HumbleInquiry

Explore the Positive Leadership Advanced Reflection, a powerful tool designed to help you move beyond labels and surface-level leadership strategies: https://lnkd.in/g7bC5gvg Through this experience, you’ll examine your own leadership journey, learn from both successes and challenges, and develop the kind of understanding that truly transforms the way you lead. It also gives you an opportunity to seek insight and feedback from others as part of the reflection process. #PositiveLeadership #Reflection #Insight #CPL

Exploring the Depths of Positive Leadership Today, we hosted our second online Leadership Tools Showcase, Getting Deep Value from the Positive Leadership Advanced Reflection, with Ryan Quinn. This advanced reflection tool goes beyond simple self-labeling—it guides leaders to examine, compare, and contrast both successful and challenging experiences, helping them see themselves in their full, nuanced complexity. By engaging with this tool, leaders can move from understanding concepts at a surface level to truly embodying them in practice—an essential step for those committed to positive leadership. Learn more about this and other Positive Leadership assessments: https://lnkd.in/g7bC5gvg #PositiveLeadership #Leadership #Reflection #CPL #Virtues

If you missed our last showcase, a recording is now on our YouTube channel. Leadership Development Coach & Illustrator, Luckett Davidson, guided us through the Old Shore, New Shore exercise—a powerful way to navigate transitions in work and life. ?? ?? Old Shore – The familiar and comfortable (job, identity, mindset). ?? Neutral Zone – The in-between space of uncertainty, growth, and transformation. ?? New Shore – The new reality, once the transition is complete. Download here: https://lnkd.in/g9mpj8dB #PositiveLeadership #Transitions #OldShore #NewShore