The Power of Positivity
I have a friend who is off the scale when it comes to positivity and optimism. Every time I have a conversation with him, I leave feeling like I have received an adrenalin boost of hope pumped into my veins – something we all need!
By contrast, I can slip into pessimism when things get tough. A few years ago, a fellow leader let me down badly. It took months to pick up all the pieces and I spent too much time and energy dwelling on the unfair and unnecessary aspects of what happened. It coloured far more of my thinking and my mood than it needed to.
Positivity and optimism are key drivers of behaviour in the workplace. In emotional intelligence research, positivity is one of the strongest predictors of long-term success for individuals and organisations. For those of us in leadership, it shapes how our teams perform and how they feel.
The reason my friend is able to exude optimism is not because he was born that way or because his life is easier than mine. I know he has many challenges in his life just like I do. He is enthusiastically optimistic because he has developed an ability to focus his mind on what is good; what is positive; what is energising - for himself and those around him. That ability has been nurtured by seeing the negative things that happen as passing issues that don’t need to define his mood that day or his approach to life more generally.
As Martyn Newman says in Emotional Capitalists, “Optimistic people tend to explain their problems and challenges as transient, controllable and specific to one situation. Pessimistic people, in contrast, believe that their problems last forever, undermine everything they do and are uncontrollable.”
As another year concludes, there are many reasons why we may not feel optimistic about the future. The pressures in our own leadership roles, combined with what’s happening in the wider world, can pull us towards pessimism, yet we still have a choice. We can step into 2026 with an optimistic outlook that energises us and creates a more hopeful environment in which our teams can flourish.
Questions for reflection:
How optimistic are you feeling as we enter a new year?
What might help you create a more positive, hope-filled culture in your teams?
- Andy Matheson