It’s a fact of life. There is an element of negativity in the world. We are exposed to it every day by some of the people we encounter in our daily lives. As the great platform speaker Cavett Robert once remarked,
“Some people brighten a room the moment they walk into it; others brighten the room when they leave it.”
The importance of attitude was driven home recently when a friend shared a poster with me that she had seen at a school where she was sent to work as a substitute teacher. It read,
“Entire water of the sea can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside of you.”
Great Leaders know that they cannot eliminate the negativity that exists. Rather, they choose to look for and always find a way to identify the positives that surround us. They choose to embrace the positives and reject the negatives. Great Leaders recognize that, while negativity exists, it cannot bring anyone down who refuses to embrace it.
Great Leaders also inspire their followers to do the same thing. They encourage followers to share good news with one another; to celebrate each other’s victories; to encourage one another to build on strengths. At the same time, Great Leaders discourage complaining, whining, and the PLOM’s (Poor Little Old Me). Great Leaders inspire followers to look for the teachable moments when things don’t go according to plan; to identify the new opportunities that setbacks reveal.
In the final analysis, Great Leaders do not eliminate negatives. Rather, they choose to reject the negatives; to keep them on the outside where they cannot bring down the great ship “I Can Reach My Potential”.
Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com