Book Review: “The Power of Positive Leadership”
Book: The Power of Positive Leadership by Jon Gordon
Reviewer: Bobby Powers
My Thoughts: 8 of 10
Every leader has dealt with negativity on their team and knows that it can be tempting to give in to negative emotions. The best leaders rise above that temptation and continue to lead with positivity and enthusiasm in the face of difficulty. In The Power of Positive Leadership, Jon Gordon shares his thoughts on why it's so crucial to remain positive. I desperately hoped this book would offer enough "meat" and offer real content rather than "pie in the sky" aphorisms. Gordon delivered.
Takeaways from the Book
The Importance of Positivity
- “One positive leader will inspire many others to become positive leaders as well.”
- “Throughout history we see that it’s the optimists, the believers, the dreamers, the doers, and the positive leaders who change the world.”
- “As a leader your attitude, energy, and leadership is contagious, and it has a big impact on your culture.”
- “Our attitude helps create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because optimists believe in a positive future, they actually delude themselves into working more to make it possible. Their belief makes them willing to take actions to achieve it.”
- “Gallup estimates that negativity costs the economy $250-$300 billion a year and affects the morale, performance, and productivity of teams.”
- “The most important characteristic of a leader is optimism.” -Bob Iger
Dealing with Difficulty
- “Greatness is never born from easy circumstances. We can become stronger when the world becomes harder.” -Erwin McManus
- “The Gallup Organization did a study where they asked people to name the best and worst event of their lives. They found that there was an 80 percent correlation between the two events. Somehow the worst event of our lives often leads to the best, if we stay positive, stay the course, and keep moving forward.”
- “There is always a way forward.”
Vision and Purpose
- “When people know how they are contributing to a bigger vision and have a bigger purpose at work--and feel like their manager-leader-coach genuinely cares about them--the research shows that engagement soars.”
- “Purpose fuels positivity and is the reason why you overcome all the challenges and keep moving forward. Purpose is why you wake up and want to transform your team and organization and change the world. Without a greater purpose, there’s no great desire. Every great organization must have a greater purpose for why they exist and every positive leader must be driven by purpose to lead others and make a greater impact.”
- “People think that hard work is what makes us tired. Hard work doesn’t make us tired. A lack of purpose is what makes us tired.”
- “Happiness isn’t an outside job. It’s an inside job. It doesn’t come from the work you do but rather the meaning and purpose you bring to your work.”
- “As a positive leader you will want to carry a telescope and a microscope with you on your journey. The telescope helps you and your team keep your eyes on your vision, North Star, and big picture. The microscope helps you zoom-focus on the things you must do in the short term to realize the vision in your telescope. If you have only a telescope, then you’ll be thinking about your vision all the time and dreaming about the future but not taking the necessary steps to realize it. If you have only a microscope, then you’ll be working hard every day but set-backs and challenges will likely frustrate and discourage you because you’ll lose sight of the big picture. You need to frequently pull out your telescope to remind yourself and your team where you are going, and you’ll need to look through your microscope daily in order to focus on what matters most and follow through on your commitments. Together they will help you take your team and organization where you want to go.”
Weed Out the Negativity
- “You are meant to define your circumstances...Remember that it’s never about the circumstance. It’s not the challenge, change, economy, election, adversity, or setback you are facing. It’s always your state of mind and your thinking that produces how you feel and respond. When you see that the world has no power over you, you will lead more powerfully in the world.”
- “Positive leadership is not just about feeding the positive, but also about weeding out the negative. As a leader you must recognize that negativity exists and you can’t ignore it. One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is that they ignore the negativity within their team and organization. They allow it to breed and grow, and it eventually sabotages the team and organization. You must address the negativity. Confront it, transform it, or remove it.”
- “Every one of us will deal with negativity and naysayers on our journey. Not everyone will have the same vision as you. Not everyone will believe in your dreams. Not everyone will get on your bus. But to succeed, your positive energy must be greater than all the negativity.”
- “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” -Gandhi
Tips for Leading
- “Positive leaders are humble and hungry. They don’t think they know it all. They are life-long learners who are always seeking ways to learn, improve, and grow.”
- “I also believe positive leaders and communicators rely on nonverbal communication. They encourage through nods, facial expressions, high-fives, handshakes, pats on the back, fist bumps, and even hugs when appropriate. Positive communication isn’t just verbal. It’s also physical.”
- “Love is the greatest leadership principle on the planet...We are who we are because someone loved us and our team will be impacted by our love. Love is what separates good and great. Good teachers know their lesson plans. Great teachers know and love their students. Good coaches know X’s and O’s. Great coaches know and love their players. Good salespeople know how to sell. Great salespeople love their clients...If you want to build a great team, business, family, school, or organization, love the people you lead and work with."
- “Once you know what you stand for, decisions are easy to make. When your culture dictates your decisions, you are on the right path to positive results.”
- “It’s important to remember that being a big-time leader starts with doing the little things to serve those you lead.”
Think you’d like this book?
Other books you may enjoy:
The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon
The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Other notable books by the author:
The Energy Bus
You Win in the Locker Room First
The No Complaining Rule
