A leader’s behavior springs from their attitude.
A positive attitude shapes not only your own satisfaction, but also your relationships and how you assess situations – and therefore your decisions. It isn’t the only source of behavior, but it is one you can influence yourself.
The quality in detail
Four steps through the quality: understand, check, connect, apply. Open any topic to read more.
The core messageWhat the quality means – and what it doesn’t
How you see a situation shapes how you act. Your attitude colors your decisions, your relationships and the mood around you.
- It does not mean
- That you should gloss over problems. A positive attitude sees the situation clearly and still looks for the next possible step.
- That you always have to be in a good mood. Disappointment and worry have their place too; what matters is where you turn afterwards.
- Strictly speaking
- The evidence is strong that positive emotions and confidence are linked to performance and satisfaction. A leader’s mood also spreads to the group and affects how it works together.
- “Springs from” is too strong: attitude is one factor among several. Behavior also depends on what is customary around you, what you believe you can do and what habits you have.
- Applies to
- Every day spent with others: the team meeting after a lost contract, the executive team in a difficult year, the church board in a hard season, the club after a defeat, the family and how you treat yourself.
The explanationAn often-quoted idea says: change your attitude, and you can change your life.
An often-quoted idea says: change your attitude, and you can change your life.
Research puts it more carefully: confidence and a good mood go hand in hand with performance, satisfaction and better cooperation – and moods spread to others.
The picture behind it: someone with a good attitude lays a firm foundation with the bricks others throw at them. That doesn’t mean glossing over problems, but looking for the next possible step after a setback – as a specialist just as much as when leading a team, a church or a company.
The signs3 signs the quality is present · 3 that it is missing
- After a setback, your first question is what you can learn from it and what to do next.
- You name problems openly and bring a suggestion at the same time.
- People leave a conversation with you more confident than when they came in.
- Your bad mood sets the tone in the room – and the more responsibility you carry, the further it reaches.
- When new ideas come up, you first list why they won’t work.
- You play difficulties down until they can no longer be ignored.
The research6 sources: 2 theories, 2 meta-analyses, 2 primary studies · 1991–2011 · with the limits of the research
- low
- moderate
- high
High – Positive affect, psychological capital, mood contagion, attitude-behavior research.
- 1991Icek Ajzen
Behavior follows from intention; intention from attitude, norm and perceived control.
- 2001Barbara L. Fredrickson
Positive emotions broaden thought-action repertoires and build resources.
- 2005Thomas Sy, Stéphane Côté & Richard Saavedra
The leader’s mood transfers to the group and influences its coordination.
- 2007Fred Luthans et al.
Psychological capital (hope, efficacy, resilience, optimism) is associated with performance and satisfaction.
Well supported. Attitude is one of several predictors of behavior, alongside social norms and perceived control.
The originJohn C. Maxwell · “Positive Attitude”
- 1999OriginJohn C. Maxwell
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Quality 13
- Positive AttitudeIn essence: If you believe you can, you can.
- todayWEGVISOR: Positive Attitude
The WEGVISOR version traces a leader’s behavior back to their attitude in its core statement. That is well supported, but not as the sole cause: besides attitude, the norms around you and your confidence in your own abilities also shape behavior.
The related qualities and lawsQ14 Problem Solving · Q19 Servanthood
If you look at a problem with confidence, you search for solutions rather than culprits. Your attitude opens your eyes to ways out.
Serving begins with attitude. If you expect good things of others, you are glad to stand up for them.
The action points5 stages of growth – from first awareness to passing it on
- Become aware For one day, simply notice how you talk about problems, and in the evening count how often it was a complaint. You don't have to change anything yet.
- Lay the foundations The next time you complain about something this week, immediately rephrase the same sentence as a possibility: “What does this make possible?”
- Make it a habit After every setback, name the next constructive step within 24 hours, and at the end of the week write down what you learned from it.
- Deepen deliberately Ask two people how you affect the mood when you are under pressure, and in the next real crisis say first what is still possible, without playing the problem down.
- Pass it on With the people you work with – in a team, a project or volunteer work – set up a fixed short review after setbacks, led by a different person each time: what did we learn, and what do we do next?
The reflection questions5 questions for you or a conversation with others
- What mood do I bring into my meetings, and what of it rubs off?
- Where do I gloss over a problem instead of addressing it openly – and can bad news be spoken openly here at all?
- Which recent setback has shaped my attitude more than necessary?
- Which habits or circumstances shape my behavior more than my attitude does?
- Whom around me do I lift up with my attitude, and whom do I drag down?
Take your time with one question. Write down your answer – or talk it over with someone you trust.
The picture to rememberA sun rises above the horizon. Its rays change the whole picture.
- A sun rises above the horizon.
- Its rays change the whole picture.
What positive attitude looks like in practice
Three words that moved millions
In 2008, Barack Obama ran for president amid major economic and social challenges. Rather than dwelling on them, he declared “Yes We Can” – and encouraged millions to believe that change was possible together.
Life is like a box of chocolates
Forrest Gump starts out in leg braces and later loses his friend Bubba and his great love Jenny. Yet he doesn’t brood – he acts, as a football player, war hero, shrimp entrepreneur and runner.
From daydreamer to adventurer
Walter Mitty escapes his dull office routine at “Life” magazine through daydreams. Then he travels to Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas to find a missing photo – and discovers himself along the way.
