3 Things Positive Leaders Do (To Get Positive Results)
The following is from Leadership expert Jon Gordon and his Monday August 23, 2021 post in his weekly newsletter.
When many first hear the term “positive leadership” they assume that I’m just talking about a nice ideal way to lead that sounds great in theory but doesn’t address reality. I assure you this couldn’t be further from the truth. Positive leadership is not Pollyanna, impractical or theoretical. Positive leadership is powerful, real and practical. In this spirit I want to share 3 ways positive leaders lead:
1. Positive Leaders Provide Love and Accountability – I have found that the greatest leaders are able to lead with the right amount of both love and accountability. Alan Mulally, the former CEO of Ford and one of the greatest leaders in history told me, “You have to love your people. They have to know you care about them. But you also have to hold them accountable to the values, principles, culture and standards.” Too much love and not enough accountability and your team will love you but they won’t become great because of you. Too much accountability and not enough love and your team will initially strive to be great but will eventually disengage and fall short of their potential greatness.
2. Positive Leaders are Demanding without being Demeaning – Many think that positive leaders are people who smile all the time and don’t care about winning. The truth is positive leaders want to win. They are very competitive. They challenge people to pursue excellence. They are demanding. They just aren’t demeaning. Instead of calling people out, they call out the greatness within them.
3. Positive Leaders Create Clarity and Generate Focus – People often think that focus leads to focus but it’s actually clarity that leads to focus. The more clarity an organization, team and individuals have the more focused they will be. Positive leaders remove clutter, eliminate confusion, simplify, and create clarity that lets everyone know what they are supposed to do so they can take focused action. Everyone knows their job so they can do their job.
About Jon Gordon:
Jon Gordon’s best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 20 books including 8 best-sellers: The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Power of a Positive Team, The Coffee Bean and his latest Stay Positive. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, Campbell’s Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Miami Heat, The Los Angeles Rams, Snapchat, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, West Point Academy and more.
Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams.
Connect with Jon on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Youtube, and follow at https://jongordon.com/.
