The Power of Positive Leadership: A Letter For You

I learn just as much from my clients as they learn from me. This letter, written to all of you, is one of the most important lessons I've learned and is meant to encourage you to focus on positive leadership techniques, such as recognizing and building on successes. I challenge you to consider a new leadership style that empowers your team and allows them to chart their own course to success.

My Dear Friend, 

Have you ever experienced the sensation of touching the sky with your hands, feeling like you're on top of the world? That's what extreme success feels like. It's a rush of energy that fuels your expectations for even greater things in life.

I know that you understand that your success isn't just about you and your leadership skills. It's also about the people who work alongside you. When you're in sync with your team, you feel like they're an extension of you. This feeling of unity is what sets visionary and successful leaders apart throughout history.

As the captain of your team, you have the mindset that "we all play and we all win."  For me, this is what makes you a true leader! Even if you think everyone will do things a certain way, this might not always happen. The reality is that everyone is different and unique, and they all have their own ways of being and thinking.

When success doesn't come easily, frustration can arise, and that's when your buttons can get pushed. You might undermine someone else, fighting for what you want without considering the consequences.  This way of being might make you lose track of your broader vision.  The negative feeling will block your ability to think further. This kind of behavior can cause you to lose sight of what's really important.

“Leadership is about persuading others to take positive action." Leadership starts with building people up, not tearing them down. "Leadership is also about viewing mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.”

If you are prone to focus only on what's wrong or what's not working, and you are always allowing your frustration to take over, this creates a paradigm where you'll keep repeating this negative behavior every time things don't go as planned. This kind of synergy neither builds up, nor empowers your team; it makes people feel small, and it might take you away from leading from a place of power, mutual respect, and integrity.

I know that being the best in your field of expertise means being the best at everything: customer service, community recognition, revenue, and performance. I challenge you to think about how you can replace your expectations with agreements and at the same time let go of bringing nagging and undermining messages into the conversation. 

How can you recognize the work of others while still addressing what needs to be changed or corrected?

Think about the kind of message you want to send to your team, to your family, and to your community. Instead of seeing mistakes as failures, see them as opportunities to improve and advance. When you are constantly taking care of things that aren't done correctly, you create a pattern in which your team knows you'll be there to help them solve problems instead of making them responsible for finding their own path to success.

Imagine leading your team in such a way that they feel empowered to design their own path. That's the kind of leadership that can help you soar like the royal falcon. Did you know a royal falcon's eye is seven times stronger than the human eye? Are you aware that they have a unique ability called peripheral vision?

What effect would peripheral vision have on you, your team, your company, and your leadership? What would happen if you let go of controlling and micromanaging others and allowed your team to take command? Does this sound liberating?

Let's aim for a definition of success that lifts everyone up, not just a select few. I believe in you and in your ability to inspire others to greatness.

With love, 

Gisela