Positive Leadership, based on positive psychology, makes a tremendous difference in any workplace no matter how hierarchical its structure may be, or how plain the tasks at hand.
Because you can’t reinvent your organization overnight to become one of those self-organizing, vibrant, fulfilling and energizing workplaces doesn’t mean you are powerless!
You can always apply positive leadership.
What is Positive Leadership?
Reinventing organizations is hot. And rightfully so. But there’s something you can do right away to develop your workplace for the better. Apply Positive leadership and kindness, whatever your role is.
Positive leadership departs from faith – from an abundance mindset. It is looking to enlarge the pie instead of dividing its parts. Instead of going back to or staying at the default baseline at zero: “There are no problems” it aims to climb beyond that into the realm of positive deviance, up to level ten: “We are performing beyond expectations and we are living up to our greatest potential as an organization. We are the best version of ourselves that we can be.”
What if there’s enough for everyone? What if you are enough? What if you build on what is already working well? What if you appreciate people for their unique contributions? What if you trust them to surprise you in a positive way with their projects? What if you start acknowledging small but good things and actions?
Kindness
What if you role model kindness: knowing that everyone tries their best, and everyone can make a mistake every now and then. Showing compassion. Understanding the human condition. Not taking things too personal. Not making things weigh more than they do – but taking things lightly – making them uplifting. Seeing disappointments as information. Being open to welcome all kinds of information – but choosing to handle anything with a positive-leadership-mindset.
Being there for your coworkers and teams. Giving genuine attention. Acknowledging achievements and challenges. Practicing how to compliment people – while you mean it. It costs nothing. All it takes is you – the best version of you.
You can start today – no matter how busy you are or how square your office building or how challenging to see something good in your coworkers….
If you need uplifting inspiration, why don’t you download the Positive Leadership & Change Collection #1?
It contains 10 articles, one of them an interview with professor Kim Cameron about Positive Leadership, who said: “It is the duty of a leader to help create an organization where it is easy to be kind and supportive.”
Support yourself at the price of a coffee. Bring positive leadership in the world and download your easy-to-read Kindle collection #1 today. (Also readable for non-Kindle-owners – simply download a free Kindle reading app for any device).
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1 other element that is needed for positive leadership: openness. To implement the kind of changes proposed above will require a leader who is open to radically different views & approaches.