A POSITIVE ATTITUDE: A LEADER’S KEY ELEMENT FOR SUCCESS

Jose Angel Anaya Estrada

Introduction

At some point in our lives we have learned from our parents to have a positive attitude, a

positive outlook in life, and to learn how to see reality from the positive side of it.

In this paper, I will attempt to explain what is a positive attitude vs a negative one, and how

having a positive attitude enhances a leader’s efficiency as well as his/her communication. Also,

it will be explained how some optimistic strategies can be implemented and taught in any setting,

whether family life or at the workplace.

What is a positive attitude?

A positive attitude reflects the capacity of the individual to expect good outcomes from

circumstances and people. A positive attitude starts mainly from a mental attitude. A mental

attitude that focus on the idea that life is full of new possibilities and opportunities for learning.

An individual that has an openminded outlook in life, is open to new learning experiences

without any prejudices, trying to find the good in other people and circumstances.

How does a positive attitude look like to others?

In general, people are predisposed to trust and to rely on others with a positive outlook in

life. Either at work or in the family setting, the patient and positive person with a high level of

empathy is consulted and asked more, than one who is pessimistic and lack empathy toward

others.
Actions displayed that show a positive attitude

Some concrete actions that we can display when we have a positive attitude are:

- Willingness to learn from other people and circumstances (even if they are not pleasant).

- A view of other people and circumstances as learning opportunities.

- A sustained effort to put aside prejudices of any kind (racial, religious, etc.).

- Willingness to see the other person’s view on something.

- A personal conviction that as persons, we are a work in progress, and perfectible.

- Expressing kindness and patience in words and attitudes in front of conflictive and

difficult people.

To communicate a positive attitude to others takes tact and emotional intelligence. On one

hand, being sensitive to the need of others, and on the other hand, getting out of ourselves in an

effort to get out of our comfort zone. Keeping a positive attitude is also an asset in any

environment, whether school, work of family life.

What is a negative attitude? If you have a negative attitude, what actions might you

display? How does your communication look like? What does a negative attitude “look”

like to others?

A negative attitude would mainly consist in seeking and creating barrier to

communication. The reasons could vary but they would manifest as an unwillingness to connect

or empathize with the other.

A negative attitude would be displayed in confrontational words, body language and

actions. No common ground is acknowledged and most likely there is no intention to seek for it.
Sharp criticism and no desire to listen would be some of the most common signs.

Coming back to possible causes, misunderstandings could be getting on the way, which

may cause defensiveness. But there could be more serious problems at work like deeply rooted

prejudices, confrontational habits or even violence. In the first case things could work out with

time and open-mindedness from both sides. On the second case the individual may have personal

issues he is simply bringing out to society and empathy by itself may not solve it.

How would you teach others to be more enthusiastic and motivated?

According to Graham & Weiner (1996), quoting Lewin and Hull try to assess what determines a

motivated behavior: “needs of the person (drive or tension), properties of the goal object

(incentives), and a directional variable (habit or psychological distance)… both advocate that

the goal of motivational theory is to identify the determinants of behavior and specify their

mathematical relationships.”1

Some personal strategies that have helped me to keep an enthusiastic and optimistic view

on life that could be teachable to others are:

- Seeing the whole picture: if something is going wrong, and we focus only on “this thing

going wrong” but lose the perspective of the whole, that attitude can create stress and

anxiety.

1
1. Graham, Sandra & Weiner, Bernard. (1996). Chapter 4: Theories and Principles of Motivation. In:
Handbook of Educational Psychology., Simon & Schuster McMillian., New York. Retrieved from:
https://msu.edu/~dwong/CEP991/CEP991Resources/Graham-TheorPrinMotiv.pdf
 - Relaxation techniques, especially practicing deep breathing, is very helpful to clear up

our minds when things don’t look clear and we feel overwhelmed.

- Find the positive. Sometimes we might have the tendency to see the tiny black dot, but

we forget that the white surface is bigger. Learning to find the positive in every negative

situation is a good exercise to acquire a positive mindset.

- Highlight the positive. When dealing with difficult people we can start making

correctives, not by showing the negative in them, but creating a rapport and empathy by

acknowledging the good in them.

Conclusion

To be an effective leader is a learning experience that can be enhanced, especially by

learning how to keep a positive attitude. This implies expecting the best and not the worst from

others, being empathic and developing personal skills like active listening and acknowledging

the good in others.

In my personal life as a religious leader, one of my missions is to keep hope against hope,

and to lead a community to a better life, not only at an spiritual level, but in general to a higher

personal level that includes all human realities. Learning from a Master who was also a master of

empathy and compassion, the minimum I can do to be a sing of hope, positive attitude and

compassion to others.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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https://msu.edu/~dwong/CEP991/CEP991Resources/Graham-TheorPrinMotiv.pdf

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