I think whether you’re having
setbacks or not, the role of the leader is to always display a winning
attitude. – Colin
Powell
A man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, "Eighteen to nothing--we're behind."
"Boy,"
said the spectator, "I'll bet you're discouraged."
"Why
should I be discouraged?" replied the little boy. "We haven't even
gotten up to bat yet!"
That
humorous story is a reminder of the power of a positive attitude even when the
odds are not in your favor. Having and maintaining a positive attitude in the
workplace can be challenging even for the most optimistic person at times.
A study
conducted by Root Inc., (http://bit.ly/1J2wkdq)
the strategy execution consulting company reported on the findings of a
survey by Kelton titled “America’s Workforce: A Revealing Account of What U.S.
Employees Really Think About Today’s Workplace.”
Among the
interesting finding, one statistic stood out – employees feel discouraged. More
than half (54%) of employees have felt frustrated about work. To be sure, everyone faces times of
discouragement and frustration at work. It’s normal. Adding to that frustration
from the survey is the admission of only 38% who say that their manager has
established an effective working relationship with them, or 40% who say that
they don’t get the company’s vision or have never seen it. With findings like
that, can you see how frustrations rise and attitudes can sour?
So what is a
growing leader to do? Here are three tips for developing underdog attitudes
that can help you become a top dog leader.
Take ownership
Your
attitude – good or bad, is on you. You can play the blame game or you can, with
underdog fortitude, step up and take responsibility for your attitude. That
means saturating your mind with positive thoughts and surrounding yourself with
positive people. It means being intentional about what you read, who you listen
to, and guarding your emotions. You don’t live in a bubble and you will be
exposed to the negative attitudes of others. But at the end of the day the only
attitude you are responsible for is yours. Own it.
Go on offense
Top dog
leaders take the offensive with underdog attitudes. No one should just idly sit
by while those with bad attitudes wreak havoc and erode the culture within your
organization. Going on offense is about exerting your positive influence like
the little boy in the dugout at the baseball game. You might be down
momentarily but you are not out. It’s not about denying reality with your head
in the sand, but it is about charting your course and the mindset you will have
going forward. When you are proactive with a positive attitude it can be
contagious. Go on offense and set the tone.
Never give up
Keeping a
positive outlook on life be it in your place of work or elsewhere can be
challenging. Having a positive outlook and attitude may place you as the “odd
man out” in some circles but it’s worth fighting for. You may feel overwhelmed
by those circumstances but let me encourage you to never give up.
Joel Osteen
said, “Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to
determine how you’re going to live your life.” And that’s ultimately the bottom
line. When you embrace an underdog attitude is will ultimately carve out the
type of life you are going to live.
If those
around you have a bad attitude, don’t join in-take ownership of your own. When
others choose a negative path and tone don’t join them – go on offense and set
an example for others to emulate. No matter how hard it is to keep your
attitude positive, no matter how bad things are around you- don’t ever give up!
What do you
say?
© 2015 Doug
Dickerson
1 comment:
LOVE your writing Doug! This is a perfect leadership article for me to share. Thank you for always being an inspiration to me! :)
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