In the spirit of my recent keynote and Jon Gordon’s The 7 Commitments of a Great Team, I want to take a deep dive into one of the most powerful commitments a team can make: commit to staying positive.
This is not about pretending everything is perfect. It is not about ignoring challenges. It is not about toxic positivity.
It is about choosing belief over doubt. It is about choosing hope and love over fear. It is about choosing intention over reaction. And it is about choosing these things especially when life gets hard.
Jon Gordon teaches that positive energy is not a personality trait. It is a responsibility. Positive leaders:
- Fuel belief
- Speak truth with hope
- Redirect negativity
- Create clarity
- Build resilience
Negative energy drains teams. Positive energy builds them. And the best teams I have ever coached or worked with were not always the most talented. They were the most positive and committed.
Belief in a positive future and commitment to that vision can completely change a team and their service to the community. I know, because I lived it.
I joined a team that was underserving the community in so many ways. No strategic plan. No vision. No capital budget. And the operating budget in 2020 was the same as 2016.
Through identifying shortcomings, analyzing community needs versus wants, and designing a strategic plan, we finally made headway. But the real turning point was the creation of values and a vision that helped us believe, achieve, and serve in a way we never imagined.
Because we created values to drive us daily and a vision of where we were going, our plans became powerful. Our team stayed positive through challenges, grew together, and believed the best was yet to come. Three years later, we received national recognition.
Another team I was consulting with hit the inevitable road of budget reductions. We have all been there. The city wants you to do more with less. Reduce the budget but do not lower standards or service.
Easy, right.
This team struggled at first. Fingers pointed. Divisions blamed each other. Negativity spread fast.
The director knew there had to be another way.
We worked together, outlined scenarios to meet reductions without sacrificing quality, and accepted that fewer options might be necessary. We had to tell this story clearly as a staff and gain understanding from administration.
As the team navigated scenarios, they began working together again in a positive way. They shared belief that they could meet their goals. Compassion, empathy, understanding, and commitment became their centerpiece.
In the end, they achieved their reduction and maintained service. Not an easy feat, but a powerful one.
Positivity is a discipline, not a mood. Staying positive requires intentional habits. It requires awareness. It requires emotional maturity. It requires choosing your response instead of reacting to circumstances.
Positivity is contagious, but so is negativity. Teams rise or fall based on the energy they allow. One negative voice can derail momentum. One positive voice can restore it.
This is why commitment matters. Positivity is not passive. It is active. It is chosen. It is practiced.
When teams commit to staying positive, they commit to:
- believing in each other
- supporting each other
- encouraging each other
- challenging each other
- rising together
Positivity does not guarantee success. But negativity guarantees failure.
As you continue building your team, coaching your staff, and preparing for the fall season, take a temperature check on your team’s energy.
Are they hopeful Are they discouraged Are they connected Are they drifting
If your team needs a jump start or a reset, I am always ready to help.
Commit to staying positive. It changes everything.
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