In last week’s blog post we took a look at the effects of positivity on our brains, and how this impacts morale and productivity. Positivity activates reward centres in the brain, triggering the release of mood-elevating neurotransmitters like dopamine. This means that as we experience positive feelings, we begin to crave even more of them, propelling us to chip away at the small steps required to achieve our goals.
This week we will be taking a closer look at the role of positivity within the organization, and offering some suggestions and guidelines for making positive leadership work for your team.
Organizational Positivity
You can identify companies that have implemented positive practices throughout history and compare their mission statements with those of their less successful counterparts.
Positivity clearly appears in mission statements that value societal contributions over the desire to be No. 1:
- Ford Motor Company: democratize the auto (1900s)
- Boeing: bring the world into the jet age (1950s)
- Sony: obliterate the image of poor-quality Japanese goods (1960s)
- Apple: one person, one computer (1980s)
Compare those mission statements with the following:
- GE: be No. 1 or 2 in every market we serve
- Walmart: become the first trillion–dollar company
- Philip Morris: knock off R.J. Reynolds as the No. 1 tobacco company
- Nike: crush Adidas
- Honda: destroy Yamaha
Improving your leadership positivity starts with your organization’s mission statement. Ask “why” you and your organization are here; then, ask yourself and your colleagues what you/they want on a deeper level:
- Which values merit coming to work each day to give your best?
- How will you inspire staff and customers to make contributions that benefit the world?
The Language of Positive Conversations
Begin to transform your team by attaching everything you say and do to higher goals and values. Leaders, managers and staff become more positive when they pay attention to the language they use. Rephrase statements in a more positive way, without sacrificing honesty or reality.
If you’re in a management position, everything you say – or don’t say – is magnified, making it even more important to boost your positive/negative ratio. Aim for a least a 3:1 (ideally, a 5:1) ratio of positive to negative statements. When you adopt this approach, others will follow suit.
Show Frequent Appreciation
Instead of seizing on what your people do wrong, start to verbally acknowledge what they’re doing right. Track and recognize progress. Most people perform better when they know they’re appreciated.
This doesn’t mean you should suppress bad news. Instead, learn to deliver it in ways that are less likely to provoke defensiveness. Your execution will improve with practice. You’ll gain respect and better performance outcomes – whether you’re participating in official performance reviews or simply engaging in casual conversations with employees.
Hopefully this week’s blog post has given you some ideas and guidelines for implementing a culture of positivity within your company. You’ll be amazed at the change in morale and the productivity of your team!
Have you already made the switch to a positive leadership style within your company or team? Or perhaps you’re just in the process of making this vital shift, as you read these blog posts. I would love to hear about your experiences with implementing positive leadership. I can be reached here or on LinkedIn.
