What People are talking about leadership and influence?

“I often wonder what people think of me. As a leader, I am not involved in the daily conversations of my team. So I am left guessing about how I am seen by others and what kind of impact I am having on them.”

“I am not used to putting on a mask when I go to work. I display the entire range of emotions: irritation, anger, joy, frivolity and pain. Does this have a negative impact on the people around me?”

“Oftentimes, I enter my workspace and I can sense a heavy energy in my team. I then feel the responsibility to uplift their spirit so that they can work without any burden in their minds. But this is hard on me, especially when I myself am down.”

So what happened?

In the hustle and bustle of daily activities, you have most likely not paid attention to the kind of influence you wield over others. But there are times when this question comes to your mind. As a leader, oftentimes you are away from the daily conversations, personal stories, gossip and interpersonal issues of your team. You’re left wondering about “what people think of you”. But to know about your influence you don’t need to look far. There’s a saying “People tell you who they are”. Observe your own behavior. If you’re irritated, fed up or downright impatient, you’re actually telling people who you are. Now you’re probably not all negative or all positive, you’re a mix of both. How can you tap into your positivity so that you can have a positive impact on yourself first and then the people around you is the real question.

What can we do about it?

Intend Your Day

The concept of 'Intend Your Day' revolves around the proactive setting of intentions and mindset for the day ahead. Instead of merely reacting to events, you take charge by deciding in advance the kind of person you want to be, the feelings you wish to experience, and the actions you aspire to take. By setting these clear intentions, you position yourself for a day that aligns more closely with your goals and values.

5 Key Points on Using 'Intend Your Day' for Positive Leadership:

1. Set Morning Intentions: Begin each day by meditating on your role as a leader and setting clear intentions for how you wish to influence and interact with your team. This mental blueprint serves as a guideline for the rest of the day.

2. Daily Affirmations: Reinforce your leadership vision with positive affirmations, reminding yourself of the leader you aim to be and the positive atmosphere you wish to cultivate.

3. Emotional Check-ins: Use brief moments throughout the day to check in with your emotions and ensure you're aligning with your morning intentions. These pauses help you recalibrate if needed.

4. Engage with Intention: Whether it's a casual conversation or a formal meeting, approach every interaction with your team intentionally, guided by the day's set purpose and goals.

5. End-of-Day Reflection: Reflect on your alignment with your set intentions, acknowledging both achievements and areas of growth. This practice not only boosts self-awareness but also informs better intention-setting for subsequent days.

By leveraging the 'Intend Your Day' approach, you can actively shape your influence, ensuring that even in your absence, your positive imprint remains on the team.

Can I read more about it somewhere?

'Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance' by Kim Cameron: Cameron explores various strategies based on positive psychology that leaders can employ to achieve exceptional results.

Key Takeaways:

Here are three main takeaways from Kim Cameron's 'Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance':

1. The Heliotropic Effect: Just like plants gravitate towards sunlight, individuals and organizations naturally move towards positive environments and interactions. By fostering a positive atmosphere, leaders can enhance engagement, productivity, and growth within their teams.

2. Four Core Strategies: Cameron identifies four central strategies for positive leadership: 

   - Creating a Positive Climate where encouragement and constructive feedback reign.

   - Building Positive Relationships through empathy and support.

   - Promoting Positive Communication that emphasizes strengths and potential.

   - Instilling Positive Meaning in work, making roles feel purposeful and significant.

3. Resilience and Positive Deviance: Effective positive leadership recognizes the inevitability of challenges. By championing resilience, leaders enable teams to rebound from setbacks. Furthermore, they encourage behaviors that exceptionally deviate from the norm in beneficial ways, leading to outstanding results.

I don't get it.. Tell me more 

Positive Influence in Leadership

Insight:

Your behavior and emotional state act as a mirror to your team. If a leader seems impatient or irritated, it can negatively affect the team's morale. Conversely, a positive demeanor can inspire and motivate. Being a blend of emotions, the challenge is channeling positive influence consistently.

Solution: 'Intend Your Day' Strategy

This proactive approach ensures leaders exert positive influence even when not directly interacting with their teams.

1. Morning Blueprint: Starting with clear intentions acts like a day's roadmap. 

   - Example: Decide to prioritize active listening for the day, making team members feel heard.

2. Affirmative Reminders: Daily affirmations act as touchpoints of the leader's vision.

   - Example: 'Today, I will ensure every team member feels valued.'

3. Emotional Reset: Periodic emotional checks help realign behavior with intentions.

   - Example: A quick mindfulness session post a heated meeting to regain composure.

4. Purposeful Interactions: Ensuring every engagement is backed by the day's intent.

   - Example: In team meetings, consciously bringing up successes to highlight positive achievements.

5. Daily Debrief: Reflecting on the day aids in continuous growth and better future intentions.

   - Example: Recognizing that a particular comment may have demotivated a team member, aiming to address and rectify it the next day.

Incorporating 'Intend Your Day' can help leaders transition from reactive leadership based on emotions and situations to proactive leadership grounded in purpose and positive intent.

Here’s what a daily life of a leader with positive influence looks like:

When you practice positive influence leadership effectively, the change is remarkable. As a leader who embodies this ideal, your workspace becomes a haven of mutual respect, creativity, and high efficiency.

Your day starts with clarity, where you set intentions not just about tasks, but about the type of energy and values you want to exude. Your greetings to colleagues aren’t just customary; they're sincere, making everyone feel integrated and valued. You become a beacon of approachability, with team members willingly approaching you with innovative ideas, secure in the knowledge that they will be heard and appreciated.

Under your leadership, meetings transform into collaborative ventures. Even when faced with differing views, the focus remains solution-driven, rather than fault-finding. Challenges, in your positive environment, morph into opportunities, ushering in innovation and steady advancement.

Beyond mere business accomplishments, your positive influence also champions the personal growth of team members. They are motivated to learn, share in each other's triumphs, and lend support during challenging periods.

As you reflect at the end of the day, it’s not just about achieved goals but also about the positive connections made and insights gained. You rest easy, aware that you've made a profound impact, not merely in business outcomes but in enriching the lives of those you guide.

In a nutshell, as a positive influence leader, you're not just spearheading a successful team; you're nurturing a flourishing community.