I have been talking a lot recently about leading in uncertainty. Over the past few years, and especially today, we have certainly been dealing with uncertainty in our world.
Throughout my experience, I have seen positive energy to be one of the most impactful, yet often most difficult factors in leaders who thrive during uncertain times.
So how does a leader bring positive energy to their team?
There are 3 key ways a leader can bring positive energy.
A leader should start with themselves. Keeping their inner game positive and showing this positivity will provide a model for those around them. As a leader, make sure that you are watching what goes into your mind. Balance the negative news with positive.
This can be difficult, as our media sources are skewed to the negative—let’s face it, bad news sells. I encourage leaders to seek out positive news. During Covid I found this website https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org. This website’s mission is to provide “an antidote to the barrage of negativity experienced in the mainstream media. I highly recommend leaders to check it out.
The second way leaders can bring positive energy to their teams is through praise and encouragement. Seek out the good in your team and let everyone know about it. When times are confusing and uncertain, people tend to think the worst. Make sure that you are balancing this by calling out the good things that you see, using praise and encouragement more than ever.
Finally, using humor and fun is a powerful positive force. Nothing makes things more negative and drearier than a workplace that is not fun.
Too many times we fall into the trap of thinking that laughing and having fun during uncertain times is inappropriate. Quite the opposite. During uncertain times you should have more Halloween parties, more office humor (keep it appropriate of course), and more lunches—whatever it is that you can do to keep the atmosphere light.
Bringing positive energy to the world allows a leader to be a beacon of light to their team. This light is crucial to bringing the team through the difficult times, and helping them thrive.
It can be very isolating as a leader in uncertain times. I offer a free coaching session to those who receive my newsletter, sign up here! https://calendly.com/wade-thomas/free-coaching-session