We often assume that people simply are a certain way. \u201cShe\u2019s such a bright, sunny person.\u201d \u201cHe\u2019s always such a gloomy Gus.\u201d Nature gives us optimists and pessimists, and that\u2019s all there is to it.<\/p>\n\n
But according to Jon Gordon, that\u2019s a myth, a limiting belief that may be holding you back. He says this from painful first-hand experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not a naturally positive person,\u201d is the improbable beginning of Gordon\u2019s new book The Power of Positive Leadership<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople think I am because of my books and talks, but the truth is I have to work hard to be positive. It doesn\u2019t come naturally to me,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n This was intriguing to me, so I had to talk with him<\/a> about the importance of leaders staying positive<\/a>, and how to do that, even when we certainly don\u2019t feel like it at times.<\/p>\n\n Gordon\u2019s positive message has made him a popular speaker and a consultant for sports teams and Fortune 500 companies, but he didn\u2019t start out that way.<\/p>\n He told me that, at one point, his wife threatened to leave him because he was so “miserable and negative.\u201d It was an important wake-up call. \u201cThat\u2019s what began my journey of saying \u2018How can I be more positive? How can I be someone who brings out the best in others but also feels good about myself?\u2019 So it became a life mission,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Along the way, he learned that \u201cbeing positive doesn\u2019t just make you better, it makes everyone around you better.\u201d He also realized that positivity isn\u2019t just a personality trait but also a skill that you can learn and improve.<\/p>\n From our conversation, I gleaned four strategies for how to do that.<\/p>\n Gordon told me what it was like to be in the locker room with Clemson University head football coach Dabo Swinney after his Tigers lost the national championship to Alabama in 2015. Swinney briefly acknowledged the mistakes on the field, then said, \u201cLet me tell you something. We\u2019re coming back.\u201d He thanked the seniors for their leadership in getting them this far and talked about the improvements the team was going to make next year to win it all.<\/p>\n Gordon was impressed with Swinney: \u201cHe just lost the national championship. He wasn't wobbling. He was focusing on the future.\u201d And it worked. The Tigers came back to beat Alabama for the championship the next year.<\/p>\n Gordon talked about research which shows that positive, optimistic people \u201cget paid more\u201d and the reason behind that compensation, including metrics showing \u201cthey will actually succeed\u201d more often than their more dour co-workers. \u201cBecause they believe in a better future, [researchers] believe that they actually work hard to create it. So it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n Physical energy is important for staying positive. You\u2019ve got to eat enough of the right things to keep energy in the tank, and you\u2019ve got to find a way to keep your body engaged. \u201cExercise to me is essential to my positivity,\u201d Gordon said.<\/p>\n And so is a good night\u2019s sleep. “You will not be at your best\u201d without adequate sleep<\/a>, he warns. Which is a problem these days, because, \u201cAmericans are getting a lot less sleep than they need.\u201d<\/p>\n Gordon said it\u2019s important to \u201ccelebrate your successes every day.” It\u2019s a great idea that I\u2019ve been practicing for years. I call these my \u201cwins for the day,\u201d which I try to name every night.<\/p>\n Concentrating on your successes at the end of one day puts you in the right mindset to wake up the next day ready for something great to happen\u2014and the fire to help it along.<\/p>\n\t\tRocky Marriage Blues<\/h3>\n
1. Acknowledge Setbacks but Focus on the Future<\/h4>\n
2. Work Hard for That Future<\/h4>\n
3. Stay Healthy Through Diet, Exercise, and Sleep<\/h4>\n
4. Give Thanks for Successes, Every Day<\/h4>\n