Best-selling author shares positive leadership tips at business forum

Jon Gordon is the author of The Power of Positive Leadership and has spoken to hundreds of organizations about the value and principles of positive leadership, but he readily admits that he is not a positive person by nature. . It takes work to become a more positive person, says Gordon, and that work needs to start at the start of each day.

“You can either stand up and shine or stand up and whine,” Gordon said. “What kind of day do you want to have?” »

Gordon shared his insights on becoming a positive force in the workplace on the July episode of the 21st Century Business Forum, a monthly webcast that features one-on-one interviews with some of the business minds and leaders in most eminent opinion in the country.

Gordon said that in these days of “rise and groan” it is important that leaders “call on our larger purpose”. Remembering our goal “will give us something positive,” he said.

“Why are you here? What difference can you make? How can you serve? How can you help others? How can I encourage others? I find that when I encourage others, I feel better in my skin,” Gordon said.

The leadership trainer and author of the book said he believes the biggest challenge facing leaders right now is “the burnout and pessimism that people feel” due to the pandemic and current tensions around the world. .

“You have to uplift your people,” not by rah-rah stuff but by “emphasis on passion, purpose, mission and vision,” Gordon said.

“Great leaders lead with a vision and a mission,” he said. “Where are we going and why are we going there?

Most organizations have a mission statement, “but only the great ones have people who are on a mission,” Gordon said, and they will find their way to accomplishing that mission.

Taking a positive approach to leading people doesn’t involve sugarcoating tough situations, Gordon said, but rather determining that “we’re not going to allow negativity to make our situation worse.”

“We will find a way forward. We will have the resilience and courage to carry on,” Gordon said.

But there is a catch for those who aspire to provide positive leadership to their people, according to Gordon.

“You have to feed yourself (with positive energy) every day in order to feed others,” he said. “If you don’t have it, you can’t share it.”

One way Gordon creates positive energy for himself is to do what he calls “a gratitude walk,” where he goes out for a walk and shares the things he’s grateful for in life.

“Your mind’s garden just gets better and better the more you do it,” he said.

Leaders “can also view every challenge as an opportunity,” Gordon said. “What can we learn from this? How can we grow from this? »

Plus, positive leaders “embrace change,” he said. “They don’t resist it.” Gordon said those who embrace change “can ride the wave to a prosperous future”.

The 21st Century Business Forum continues on August 10 with Whitney Johnson, bestselling author, CEO and leading business thinker. Sign up to watch the webcast here.