Corona, Ebola, Swine, Avian. Viruses spread and leave emotional, physical, and economic fallout. But not everything that spreads is bad. For example, some viruses help protect us. We actually have viruses residing in our bodies that attack invaders! Leaders can also spread both bad and good things which will have an effect on their organizations. Here are 6 good things that can be spread and have a positive effect.
Laughter.
In our consulting practice, we have found a correlation between teams that laugh together and the overall health of the organization. When we interact with groups and do not hear them laugh and joke with one another, we start to look a bit deeper. Why? Because laughter is a sign of health and it is also contagious.
Encouraging words.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Hurt people hurt others”? Often, we can say the same thing about encouragement. “Encouraged people encourage others.” Many people go through life feeling beat down, taken advantage of, and having an overabundance of self-doubt. The spread of genuine encouragement can make the difference between a very hard day and a very good day. Choose to make someone’s day good.
Purpose.
Laugher and encouragement feel pretty intuitive regarding how they spread. But purpose? How do we spread that? Actually, as leaders, purpose is the one thing we MUST spread. Leaders do this by helping others see how their role, regardless of how small or hidden, matters to the overall vision and values of your organization. God created us for purposeful work. So consider spreading some purpose today.
Optimism.
How many people say, “I want to work with a negative person”? Or, “I just feel so good after spending time with him; he sees all that is wrong with me and the world”? The line is very short for those who respond well to pessimism. But not all kinds of optimism are beneficial either. There is blind optimism – this is not recommended since it is as destructive as pessimism – and healthy optimism – not ignoring reality but still choosing hope. In our coaching and consulting work, we have seen over and over that both optimism and pessimism spread easily. Choose carefully.
Recognition.
The U.S. Department of Labor once noted that the number one reason people leave a job is because they do not feel appreciated. While some people have an insatiable need for being recognized, most just appreciate periodically hearing a well-earned praise or thank you. When we recognize someone, they feel encouraged, become more optimistic, and tend to be more positive around others. That’s called spreading health.
Helpfulness.
In their book, How Full is Your Bucket, authors Tom Rath and Donald Clifton tell the story about studying 4,583 call center representatives from one company. They found three specific employees who turned off EVERY customer with whom they came in contact! (I think somewhere along the way I would have talked with each of those employees.) But they also found seven who retained every customer they served. That is the difference helpfulness can make.
In this season of anxiety and heightened awareness of viruses, consider how you as a leader can spread these six things that will produce positive and lasting results.
Contact us to learn how our experienced coaches can help you have a positive impact on your team and organization.
Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.
