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The LLoyd blog: hidden talent.

Positive Leadership

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Your Decision To Be Happy Can Have a Ripple Effect On Your Team

Each morning I take an early morning walk. Lately, I’ve been looking forward to it more and more because during this time, I’ve recently been listening to a wonderful podcast referred to me by my son, Jason. It is hosted by leadership coach and author, Michael Hyatt, titled “This Is Your Life” and I want to thank Michael and give him credit for the idea for this blog post and allowing me to build on some of his ideas and inspiration for thought leadership.

Each day we all have a choice: to be happy or unhappy.

This is especially true for anyone in a management role or responsible for motivating and managing others. You can tell what choice people have made usually by observing their face or demeanor. Look around you at your colleagues. Observe body language, listen to their voice when they speak.   Positive, happy people attract other successful and similarly happy people.  They make others want to work for them, produce for them and grow with them because of the energy and confidence they radiate.  Often, these positive, happy people seem to get more opportunities in both life and in business, simply by meeting others who think and act like they do. They are like one big happiness magnet!

Here are seven steps I’ve learned for becoming a happier and more positive person.

  1. Ask someone close to you if they view you as a happy person. Ask your spouse, a good friend or a fellow worker – someone who is likely to give you an honest answer.
  2. Then, ask yourself – am I a complainer? If yes, what are you trying to accomplish by complaining? Typically, the more you complain about an issue, the more that issue comes right back to bite you. Instead, focus on the good and you will get more good.
  3. If you are not happy, change that. Decide to be happy.  Own your behavior; this means if you are told you’re a negative person, make the decision to become a positive person.
  4. Self perception. Start “seeing” yourself as a happy person. Tell yourself that you’re an encourager with positive energy flow. Perception is reality so you are what you believe you are!  Example… when you get married you become a wife or a husband ..but the title or license alone doesn’t actually make you a wife or husband – you have to become one in attitude, behavior and lifestyle.
  5. Always greet others with a SMILE. Smiling releases those chemicals in your body that will have a positive impact on you and others around you. Get your positive endorphins going.
  6. Keep an eye out for “the good.” Stop focusing on what the people around you are doing wrong, or what you don’t like, or where you disagree. Look for the positives … notice more good things and more good things are likely to happen.
  7. Always speak well of others. Don’t bad mouth a colleague, a boss, a friend. Make a comment about the positives of people and when others hear and see you do this, they will begin to do the same. At work, that’s how positive cultures are built; it makes for a positive and profitable environment.

Leaders influence and they have a choice to be positive, happy influencers of others!  And – you can be a leader whether that is your job description or not.   MichaeI Hyatt suggests to his follower to try a seven-day test and work at being a happier person. I think it’s a valid suggestion and encourage you to give it a shot. Monitor the results of how much better you feel and how people around you feel. I think you’ll find people respond to you differently and you will respond to others in a new way too.

Please let me know what happens.

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