The Positive Energy Workplace

Why is positive energy important? How do we create it? How does it impact our culture? For years we've worked with leaders and organizations on building healthier more positively contagious cultures and authentic positive energy leadership. Often when I speak about how to do this, people will ask for the "checklist" -- the checklist for building a healthy culture or leading better. ("Yes, yes, yes... I know positive energy is important, yes yes yes... give me the checklist.") We can give you a checklist, trust me, we have many -- however, it will ultimately only be as good as the honest inner work you do to truly create positive energy within yourself first. Creating healthy leadership and a healthy culture is an inside-job... 

Last month, Harvard Business Review published an article, "The Best Leaders Have a Contagious Positive Energy".  (Four of my favorite words in one title: leaders, contagious, positive, and energy!) The article speaks to some of the what and why of positive energy leadership. In the video below, I offer you a bit more about the (sustainable) authentic how as well as some things to watch out for as you build your leadership and culture. Enjoy!

CONTAGIOUS CULTURE, CONTAGIOUS YOU...

Who would have thought we’d be in a CONTAGIOUS PANDEMIC just four months after the release of CONTAGIOUS YOU (the follow on to CONTAGIOUS CULTURE)? Or even deeper in that pandemic -- amongst hundreds of other hard things that challenge our energetic and leadership contagiousness and way of being -- just eight months later. Or after I'd written a book call THE LEADER YOU WILL BE...

I'll write another post about the experience of this year with these books, and the divinity and gifts I can see in all of it (now). And in the meantime, I wanted to offer some extra guidance and support in engaging with this work right now as we navigate pandemics, politics, natural disasters, social injustices, massive tension and ambiguity, mental and physical health trauma, upcoming holidays, and more, and as our leadership, self-care, and positively, usefully, and healthy contagiousness become even more important... 

I've started this post four separate times this week. Each time I've started, I've gotten distracted. A stressed text from a loved one. Increasing smoke and decreasing air quality from the fires throughout California. Notice of a medical emergency. A news alert on my phone, (almost always followed by getting sucked into social media)...

Whatever the case (and this seems to happen more and more frequently), my previously energized and focused brain, after any of these (or a combination of the above) -- shuts down. And all that "ready to engage, ready to write, ready to whatever, zoom zoom!!" energy goes... kaput. 

For some, right now is a moment to pause, take a breath, and intentionally consider what they want to put back into their life to be "busy" with. For others, right now is a moment of sheer overwhelm and it feels impossible to even get a moment of peace to themselves, let alone think about how busy they are. For some, anxiety, fear, overwhelm, and helplessness are at an all-time high. For some, gratitude and hope for the gifts of learning, unrest, change, and possibility are at an inspiring level. For some, it's a combination of all of the above -- a little bit or a lot of each. Or something entirely different. This moment is highly personal to each of us; what we're going through, how we're navigating it, what we're learning (and unlearning), what we're challenged by, and how we're loving and leading through it. 

This information was shared in our bi-weekly contagious leadership conversation broadcast (which is subscription-based). Given what we’re all going through right now, we wanted to provide this information on a bigger scale. Stay well. Stay present. Wash your hands. Breathe.

My team and I are devoted to helping things go better, showing up well with you, bending and flexing to be as useful as possible, staying well and working our IEP ourselves, and serving you in this time in new ways as needed.

Here's how...