There is great power in positive thinking and having a positive attitude as a leader. Give me a positive leader, and I will show you a positive team and organization. What you reflect is usually what you will get as the following story demonstrates.
There was a place in a remote village far, far away called “The Palace of 1,000 Mirrors.”
A happy and energetic little puppy who lived in this village had heard of the palace and decided to pay a visit.
When he arrived, he playfully bounced up the steep stairs to the open door of the house. He looked through the door with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging very fast. He was surprised because through the door he found 1,000 other happy dogs just like him wagging their tails just as fast as he was.
He gave a great big smile and found the other 1,000 dogs smiling right back, which made him smile even bigger. And the bigger he smiled and the faster he wagged his tail, they smiled just as big, wagged their tails just as fast and were just as warm and friendly as he was.
He thought to himself as he was leaving the palace, “This is a wonderful place. I must come back and visit again.”
In the same village was an older dog and quite frankly a fairly grumpy dog. He also decided to visit the palace of 1,000 mirrors.
As he approached the door with his sad head hung low, he looked up and found 1,000 other grumpy and unhappy dogs staring back at him. He growled and was frightened by the other dogs growling right back.
He quickly left and said to himself, “That place is not very friendly, and a bit terrifying, I won’t ever go back again.”
The benefits of being positive are numerous. In addition to the energy you create as a leader, there are other great benefits as well.
1. Positive leaders create loyal followers. Chances are if I asked you a common trait that your favorite and most inspiring leaders have had you would probably point out that they were positive people.
2. Positive leaders don’t quit. When faced with adversity, positive leaders persevere. They have their eye on the vision, not the setbacks.
3. Positive leaders make better and quicker decisions. Negative leaders throw up a multitude of road blocks that lead to longer and less effective decisions. Positive leaders on the other hand are better balanced.
4. Positive leaders do more difficult things. They tend to do what is right, not what is easiest.
5. Positive people and leaders live longer. A lot of research supports and comes to the conclusion that positive people live longer and happier lives. Who doesn’t want that benefit?
What kind of leader are you striving to be? One that smiles and is positive? Or one who frowns and is generally negative? Given the benefits as outlined above and the opportunities to reflect what you are, I choose the former. How about you?
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