Why Positivity is a Key Leadership Strength

In my role as Associate Director, I'm fortunate enough to be able to listen to a wide variety of different people and their situations. This isn’t limited to their job and career choices but also their personal lives, lifestyles and the way they go about each day. I listen to the reasons people move from one job to the next and I try to offer the best advice I can. My role enables me to help individuals change their job and progress in their careers and I always try to do this in a positive and enthusiastic way.

Unfortunately, there are multiple negative reasons as to why people change jobs. Living in a complex and turbulent world means that life can often be tough. It’s a natural human desire to live life to the full and to always want the best. A person’s decision to switch jobs and take the next step in their career isn’t always an easy choice and it can be tough for them to have the courage to take a leap into the unknown. Yet some people are still faced with negativity at the point of their resignation.

I’m writing this post for anyone who has managed an individual or for anyone who has ever received a letter of resignation. While reading this, I urge you to consider: What type of person are you? Were you part of the reason an individual decided to leave your team?

People leave their place of work for lots of positive reasons, including progression, career development, a new challenge and other life choices. As their manager, you should respect their reasons, wish them all the best and thank them for their service. However, the negative reasons as to why people leave a job can include having a bad mentor, being shown a lack of respect, feeling unwelcome, being underappreciated and experiencing a negative culture. The route cause for many of these reasons can often be linked to management.

We all spend a long time in work so naturally we need to enjoy what we do for work. Don’t just manage your team but LEAD and support them as individuals and always be positive!

Positivity = Attraction
Being positive will help drive people TO you, not away from you. Creating positive vibes will help you motivate your team to work hard and achieve their potential. This will fashion a pleasant working environment and will help everyone to enjoy their work. If/when someone from your team then decides to move on, you’ll know that it’s for their own reasons rather than for negative ones. Simply thank them for all the efforts and wish them luck in their future venture.

Negativity = Repulsion
Being negative can demotivate people, make them feel distant and create an unhappy, unpleasant culture. Negativity can be shown in a lack of support or understanding towards your team and eventually people will disengage and move on.

Life is about choices, but being positive is a habit. Good habits can take up to 66 days before they become second nature so they are tough to establish. However, in my experience nothing that is good comes easy, but it's totally up to you. What choice will you make?