15 Reasons Positive Leaders Seem Negative

Negative leaders look in the mirror and see someone who cares.

There are “good” reasons for negativity.

You’re negative because…

1. Some babies come out smiling and some come like Eeyore. It’s not an excuse, but you were born with a disposition.
2. Improving other people’s work makes you feel smart, powerful, and superior.
3. Nothing’s good enough when your belly is growling.
4. Experience sees potential problems that novices don’t imagine. (There’s a reason we don’t do it that way.)
5. You finish everything you start so you nitpick plans that don’t make sense. A person who loves to check things off their list won’t put something on their list that might not get checked off.
6. Helplessness makes you pessimistic. When you feel you can’t change things, you lose heart.
7. Constant nagging, nitpicking, and fault-finding are depressing.
8. Incompetence drives you crazy. If they can’t do their job, why are they around?
9. You make mountains out of mole hills. When everything is important, you’re bound for negativity.
10. Resentment – hanging on to offenses – drains you.
11. Power gives you permission to be grumpy.
12. You need sleep. Overwork, stress, and fatigue drag you toward the abyss.
13. Disappointed expectation makes you irritable.
14. Stupid people…*#!^#!!
15. Disappointment with yourself spills on others.

Successful leaders manage the impact of their presence.

10 ways to move toward positive leadership:

1. Receive gratitude with gratitude.
2. Leverage negativity in very small doses.
3. Explore options without sounding like a know-it-all.
4. Decide what you really want and choose actions that get you there. If you want your team to fail, complain constantly and nitpick their work.
5. Schedule down-time.
6. Schedule gratitude walk-abouts.
7. Show respect for other people’s ideas.
8. Eat healthy and take a walk.
9. Let people learn from failure.
10. Get a positivity-partner who can kick you in the pants when you’re negative.

Bonus: Ask a positive person how they do it?

What makes positive people go negative?

How might negative leaders move toward positivity?