How to be a more positive leader at work

We've got a lot going on, right? We have family obligations, we have work obligations, and on top of those we also have some things in our life that aren't going the way that we want them to. As a result, sometimes you get into a place where you're not in the right head space. You may find that your attitude isn’t as positive and that things may be feeling a little heavy for you.

That’s natural. We all go through times where we are up and then down, and even though these are the things that I work with others on, I find myself going through the same cycles as well.

Why is it important to be aware of this?

Because being a positive person allows you to be a positive leader in the work environment, and that is critical for how you show up for yourself and for others. You do have a lot of things that you are taking care of personally and professionally, and being more positive as a person helps you to create a foundation of resiliency. When you are a more positive person, and therefore a more positive leader, you have less stress, you have more focus, you think more clearly, you build better relationships because you have the bandwidth to do so.

What happens when you focus on positivity, is that you focus on the positive in you and others, and aren’t as quick to label people or situations in a negative, no options sort of way. You start to see potential solutions and increased choice, even when things are less than ideal.

And, it’s a ripple effect. Your mindset shift into more positivity contributes to the people that you lead, the culture you are creating in your department or organization, your interaction with clients or customers, coworkers, and the list goes on and on and on.

So today, we're talking about how to become a more positive leader at work.

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The starting place is you, and it's an inside job.

I had an opportunity recently to evaluate my attitude, and it wasn’t pretty. I thought to myself, I don't think my head is in the space that I want it to be. And even more than that, perhaps I've turned into a little bit of a Negative Nellie (my apologies to anyone named Nellie).

Here’s what happened next. I traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado, and I went to a retreat with my business coach. But this was not a business retreat, this was a personal retreat. In order for us to uplevel our businesses we also want to uplevel ourselves and, that means we get to do the internal work. In this retreat, she asked a simple question, and this is the question that I'm going to put in front of you today.

The question is, “How can you prove that your life, that you, are a miracle?”

If you were standing in front of a judge and a jury, what factual evidence would you give to them to prove to them that you and your life are a miracle? What are the specific instances that you would present to the judge and jury to convince them that you and your life are a miracle? What is the who, what, when, where, why, and how you would provide?

I want to challenge you with the same exercise, because it really had a profound impact on me. It really shifted how I think about things, and I want you to be able to experience it too. I invite you to do this for one week and then check back in with me. Shoot me a message, direct message me, email me, and let me know what has happened as a result of this exercise.

And so here's how it works, each day I want you to think of three things that prove factually that you and your life is a miracle. What are things that have happened in your life that you feel good about? You feel blessed, you feel very fortunate? But deeper than that, what are the specific moments in time? Who were you with? What happened? When was it? Where were you? How did it make you feel or Why was it important to you?

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I'll give you an example.

I was in North Carolina speaking at a client event. When I arrived, the meeting professional that I work with was just coming out the front door of the resort. She got a smile on her face, was so happy to see me, and gave me a big hug! It just made me feel good. It made me feel great to be there, working with this client again, and having a chance to present to their young leaders. After that, I ran into the association president, and he was so happy to see me. He gave me a big hug and said, we're so excited you're here! And I felt and thought, I am well and truly blessed, that this happens in my life. This is proof that me and my life is miraculous.

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So, that's what I want you to do.

I want you to think about specific moments in time. They don't have to happen on the day you are writing about them, they could have happened in the past. Each day I want you to think of three specific moments in time that if you presented them to a judge and a jury, they'd be like, oh yeah, your life is just a miracle, and so are you. Start digging into this and keep me posted on what happens as a result. Three things every day, and only for seven days. Let me know how it goes.

Allow this positivity to reframe your thinking and attitude. Allow it to seep into your being so that you too can be a more positive leader in the workplace.

Be good to yourself, and here’s wishing you all the Clarity and the positivity that you deserve.