I speak to a lot of organizations on the importance of positive leadership and the benefits of building a positive culture that fuels peak performance. Yet, one of the most common questions I receive after my talks is...
"Jon, what do I do when others around me, like my boss or coworkers, aren't positive?"
No matter how positive we may choose to be, we’re always going to encounter others who aren’t. Thankfully there are things that we can do to help overcome their negativity or redirect it in a way that helps them become more positive as well.
Here are few suggestions…
1. Make Your Bus Great - You may not be the leader of your organization. You may not be driving the "big bus," but you can decide to make YOUR bus great. Every day just focus on being the best you can be and bring out the best in others while tuning out everything else. Tune out the negativity. Tune out the damaging comments. Tune out anything you can’t control. You can’t drive anyone else’s bus. Just drive your bus and make it a great ride.
2. Your Positive Energy Must Be Greater than All of the Negativity - In the book Power vs Force, author David Hawkins, MD shares research that 80 percent of the population vibrates to a negative frequency. The fact is negativity is all around us. It’s not just your coworker or boss. It’s everywhere. You must remember that your positive energy must be greater than all the negativity. As country wisdom suggests, "Never wrestle with a pig because you'll both get dirty and the pig likes it." Instead, stay above the fray. Positive energy is much more powerful than negative energy. If you stay positive, the negativity can't touch you.
3. Be The Seed - When you plant yourself where you are, with a desire to serve and make a difference, you will create very positive conditions for your growth. You'll be amazed at how others start treating you more positively when you approach your work with a service mindset. They will sense something different in you and they will change the way they behave towards you. I encourage you to read The Seed and let the growing process begin.
4. Invite Your Boss or Co-Workers on Your Bus - Give your boss or coworkers a book on positive leadership. It could be one of my books or a book from an another author. There are many great books out there. I've received countless emails from leaders who received The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership and The Carpenter from their employees and it changed the way they lead. Best of all, this change in leadership spreads throughout the organization. So don't think you can't change your situation or organization. You can. I'm convinced that very few people want to be negative. Most people are negative because of stress, busyness, and fear. Most people just need a wake-up call to break out of their rut. This is your opportunity to help someone else break free. Decide to be a beacon of light that shines on others. You'll be amazed at what happens as a result.
5. If They Don't Change, You Can - If all else fails you have a choice. You can decide to stay positive and outlast your boss or coworkers knowing that truth shines through and eventually a negative boss or coworkers won't last, or you can decide to change your job. I’m not advocating simply giving up but if all else fails, you always have a choice. Remember, the best cultures that focus on positive leadership attract the best employees.
Whatever you do, however, don't allow a negative boss or coworker to get you down. With 80 percent of the population being negative, we need positive powerful people like you to offset the negativity. So keep staying positive!
Have you successfully dealt with a negative boss or coworkers? What did you do? Have you helped your boss or coworkers become more positive? What did you do? Share your thoughts with me on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn.
-Jon
