The Power of Perspective.
This month is my five year anniversary from breast cancer. Certainly an experience I never prepared for, expected, or initially welcomed. At the moment of the diagnosis I had a very clear choice since either way this “cancer thing” was happening. I could shrink back and move into a mode of anger, resentment and denial or, I could stand tall, recognize the unknown opportunities that lay ahead and choose to be grateful for all that I did have. I chose positivity.
How similar the experience to COVID, unexpected, chaotic, and unpredictable...so what is your choice? When you approach another new problem that COVID has presented, how do you respond? What perspective are you taking when you filter the new information and are tasked with making a decision, what are the words you choose when you present to your team yet another change in the process?
As a leader you set the tone, you may not know all of the answers but you can influence how others see the challenge. Every problem has a lesson and opportunity, can you ferret that out and present it with positivity? Being uncomfortable with “not knowing” yet still retaining a sense of calm, clarity and positivity is a skill. Begin with the awareness of knowing your fallback response and consciously redirect your mind. Andy Stanley speaks beautifully to this in his latest podcast.
I am currently taking a class with Shirzad Chamine focused on Positive Intelligence (PQ) . It is an opportunity to examine one's “mental fitness”, in other words, measure the strength of your positivity muscles vs. your negativity muscles and how that can impact your relationships, experiences and success. Shirzad takes a scientific research approach as he has a PhD in neuroscience, a BA in psychology, MA in electrical engineering and MBA from Stanford. He focuses on how we are able to alter our fallback reactions and perspective to one of positivity and thus improve performance, relationships and impact
Why does positivity matter? It will influence and attract others, you decrease cortisol levels (stress hormone) and produce more serotonin, you improve your creativity and productivity… the list does on! Great recap in Psychology Today. If you like podcasts (as I do) check out this interview with Brenda Bailey-Hughes a professor at the Kelley School of Business titled How to Be a Better Leader by Being More Positive
I dare you to be negative now!