Leadership in the Moment

With employees feeling more stressed out than ever at work, leaders are continuously challenged with ways to encourage, motivate and show appreciation to their followers.  Harvard University is extolling the merits of a popular course, Positive Psychology.  A professor at the university, Shawn Achor, recently spoke at an annual meeting of an east coast health center urging employees to “shake off dark moods at work by practicing such happiness-inducing techniques as meditation or expression of gratitude.”  Meditation may seem like a time-sapping activity but it can be done in a few moments of deep breathing.  And, expressing gratitude could also be as simple as observing positive behavior and complimenting that person specifically on what was noticed. 

How can leaders model positive behavior?  One piece of advice from Mr. Achor is, “Don’t immediately label events good or bad but remain open to potentially positive outcomes.”  What’s different about this approach, according to the professor is that “There is now an emphasis on inner happiness and controlling your own mood in the face of turbulence or misfortune.”  As a wise participant in one of our Leadership Challenge ® workshops said, “When you’re a leader, the camera is always in the “on” position.”   Are you camera-ready?