Are You a Positive Leader?
By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO

Being a positive leader in our fast-changing and often chaotic world has become a competitive advantage.  It is far too easy to fall into negative mindsets and complaining behaviors.  Change is unsettling.  Uncertainty is difficult to deal with. However, our mindset is a choice – and leaders who choose to be positive end up having a huge advantage in how they inspire their teams and lead in the marketplace.

Positive leadership is not about fake positivity.  It must be real and genuine.  So, what does positive leadership look like?  This is a great question for every leader to ask themselves.  How do you define positive leadership for yourself? Throughout history, it was those who were believers, optimists, dreamers, and doers that changed our world.  And, now more than ever, it is just these types of individuals that will use their belief, resiliency, and positive outlooks to overcome the obstacles necessary to be successful.

So, what do positive leaders actually do?  They create positive organizational cultures, they help create a positive vision and strategic plan, they are committed to execution and accountability of the organization’s plan, they demonstrate passion and optimism, they confront and transform negativity, and they build great relationships and great teams.

With this in mind, where do positive leaders start?  Positive leaders start with identifying their purpose and the organization’s purpose.  We must always start with “why.”  Second, they must have the commitment to getting it done.  Without an absolute commitment to the hard work necessary, nothing will get done.  Every leader will ultimately be held accountable for what is done.  From what I have seen, positive leaders have a much better record of execution and are known for excellence.

It is not easy to remain positive and focused as a leader.  I know this because I too struggle with this at times.  However, I can also attest to the fact that when I do put all my energies into being the positive leader I desire to be – my team and our organization respond so much better.  So, what are you doing to develop as a positive leader?  And, what can you do to inspire others to do likewise?