By Linda Van Valkenburgh, MS, CCMC, CJSS, CSMCS, CELDC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindavan/
Leadership is both challenging and exciting.
Being assigned a C-level title does not make you a leader. What makes you a true leader is your ability to lead others by example.
If you want your team to have a positive attitude, then you need to show them what a positive attitude looks like. If you want them to focus on their work and improve their performance, you should show them how to hit their targets.
Thinking too much about the past or the future can steal you away from the present moment. When you are not entertaining fear-based thoughts, you are better able to concentrate on what matters right now.
Here are some tips on how to manage your attitude, stay present, and remain positive.
Choose To Look At Everything Differently
It is surprising the things that happen when you begin to focus on the positive rather than the negative aspects of your work or your team. Relationships and moods tend to improve, leading to more openness and willingness.
If you have been spending a lot of time looking at the downsides of your employees or their capabilities, it is time instead to focus on the value they bring to the organization.
Everyone makes mistakes. Try not to focus on that. Let the past be the past and determine what you can do today to be more conscious of what is going right in your career.
Create A Culture Of “Shipping”
Shipping means to bring a project to completion. Marketing expert Seth Godin encourages entrepreneurs and businesses everywhere to “just ship”, because it is too easy to fall into the habit of perfecting an offer before presenting it to the marketplace.
When a project is completed, everyone feels a sense of accomplishment. Employees can eliminate mental clutter and start fresh on a new project.
When there are too many projects hanging in the air, anxiety can build up fast. Staying present becomes difficult.
If necessary, try breaking projects down into more manageable, bite-sized chunks. When you and your team see progress, you will feel encouraged to keep pressing on.
Keep Learning & Growing
Many business owners and executives tend to rush the process of systematization.
For your business to run like a machine, it will be necessary to put robust systems and skilled personnel in place. If you expect everything to work perfectly before even testing it, you are going to be disappointed and frustrated.
Developing a culture where mistakes and learning are encouraged is one where you will see innovation and growth. Your team members will come up with unexpected and eloquent solutions to problems. They will be invested in the organization’s success.
Set the example by continually learning and growing yourself.
Recognize & Engage Your Team
Confidence and high self-esteem positively impacts your entire team. It allows them to take chances without feeling like they are going to be chastised for making a mistake. You will also see productivity go up, and relationships improve.
If you want to encourage collaboration, then take the time necessary to build up your team. Recognize excellent work. Engage them to keep morale high.
Final Thoughts
Positivity is a matter of perspective.
It is easy to feel optimistic about your day when everything is going well. But, what if things do not go well?
The true mark of a leader is someone that can see the good in a situation that may appear to be negative. After all, there will always be some mistakes, challenges, obstacles, and setbacks in any career or workplace. If you are experiencing some difficulty, it just means you are human. So, it is not a matter of how you feel about these situations, but how you deal with them.
Do not allow your past to dictate your present or your future. Do not let your fear of the future distract you from what matters in the present.
Let’s get to work!
If you have questions about your executive career search, please contact me at 203-323-9977 or [email protected].