Being positive for your team

By Kevin Eikenberry

You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers. Hi, I’m Kevin Eikenberry. Answering the questions that new leaders ask us. Actually, it’s our goal to help all leaders become more effective, productive, successful and confident. Today I’m answering an important question I’ve been asked many times. How do we remain positive for our team? Are you ready? Let’s go. I have been asked this question many times, Kevin.

How do we remain positive for our teams? How do we remain positive? I mean, it’s chaotic. It’s hard. There’s challenges everywhere. It all seems like it’s on our shoulders. How do we remain positive? Well, before I answer the question, let’s think about why the question is so important and why it matters that we remain more positive.

Number one is, and you know, this is true, that attitude and outlook are contagious. Right. Like if I asked you, is enthusiasm contagious, you’d say yes. So is the opposite. In other words, whatever energy is floating around in a group will tend to spread. It is the leader. Yours will spread the most. More on that in a second.

Second, positive expectancy leads to better results. Okay, so it’s fine. That attitude is contagious. But the thing is, if we have a positive expectancy not just to us but our team, then the chances of us getting better results goes up. That’s why we’re here, to get better results.

And then thirdly, you as a leader are a role model. Now, there’s no doubt that our attitude, whether positive or negative, is will spread. As a leader, it’s more likely to spread because people are watching us. And what we do matters whether they’re consciously noticing or not, whether it’s the things we say or just the things we do. Our energy, our attitude matters. So we want to remain positive. The question is, how do we do it? Well, that’s why we’re here, right?

So let’s start with this. See that word on the screen? Does it say to you instantly, opportunity is nowhere or opportunity is now here. Same letters. Where do you put the spaces is the only difference. Here’s the point. The point is, if we want to remain positive, we must be looking for opportunity. What are the situations in front of us? Are we thinking about looking for and focusing on opportunity or only noticing the problems, challenges, and issues? That’s the first question.

The second thing is focus on what you want. Now, you might be saying, Kevin, if all this positive thought is fine, but we do have real issues and real challenges. I am not suggesting that we deny challenges. I am suggesting that we don’t obsess on them. I’m suggesting that we say, okay, that’s the situation now. What do we do? How do we move forward? How do we make progress? We can make progress if we choose to focus on that rather than looking at the obstacle itself. Focus on what you want rather than what you don’t want.

Next. Be grateful. Even in a time when things are tough, even in a time when there’s uncertainty. There are things that you as an individual and as a leader you can be grateful for. When we focus on things we’re grateful for, it changes our frame of mind. It changes our frame of reference. It helps us to be more positive.

Next. Think. Possibility. Don’t. Think problem. Think. Possibility. It doesn’t mean that things might not still go wrong. They might. But think about possibility. And then next. Remember that you have a team. You don’t have to shoulder it all alone. You have help. You have resources. You have a team. Remember that as you become more positive, you help them be more positive, lifting everyone toward a better chance of results.

And again, you don’t have to do it alone. And lastly, how do we remain more positive for our teams? Put a smile on your face more often. If you’re walking around like all down in the dumps, if you’re walking around like you just bit into a sour lemon, that’s not helping your attitude at all. Smile. Look for things that are positive.

Look for possibility. Be grateful. Recognize that opportunity is now here. When you do those things, you have a much better chance of remaining positive and getting better results. Let me close with today’s tweet. As a leader, always think about the positive possible outcome and remind yourself it can be done.

If you have a question you’d like me to answer in a future episode, all you’ve got to do is ask. You can ask by leaving a comment wherever you are here, or by sending it to be more anonymous to info@KevinEikenberry.com. And it has a chance to be answered on a future episode. I hope that you’ll do that. And I hope that you’ll take a look at BudtoBoss.com, where there are all sorts of resources that can help you as a leader become more effective and confident.

I hope you’ll do that. Hope you will be back here for future episodes. Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any in the future. And one more thing. Everything we’ve talked about today is about our ability to have greater influence as a leader. If you want to learn more about having greater influence, we have a remarkable masterclass on that topic.

You can learn more at the link here. I look forward to seeing you in our next video. Until then, make it a great day.

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Kevin Eikenberry is a recognized world expert on leadership development and learning and is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations across North America, and leaders from around the world, on leadership, learning, teams and teamwork, communication and more.

Twice he has been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World and 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference. The American Management Association named him a “Leaders to Watch” and he has been twice named as one of the World's Top 30 Leadership Professionals by Global Gurus. Top Sales World has named him a Top Sales & Marketing Influencer several times, and his blog has been named on many “best of” lists. LeadersHum has named him one of the 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2023.

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