Everyone knows that when people feel good, they work better, are more
creative and more productive. The ability to inspire positive feelings in others
is a key leadership quality. Good feelings are like lubrication to the brain –
mental efficiency goes up, memory is sharpened, people can understand directions
and make better decisions.
The challenge for leaders is obtaining a balance between worker’s feeling good,
having satisfying relationships, and keeping the focus on performance goals. The
ability of a leader to foster group enthusiasm can determine its success.
Conversely, emotional conflicts in a group take time, attention and energy away
from shared tasks and performance suffers.
Executive coaching can help a leader communicate feelings that are realistic and
authentic, maintain positive emotions in the face of stressful challenges, and
inspire energy and enthusiasm. Acquiring realistic optimism and improving one’s
Attributional Style can help a leader discover how to do this. Improving one’s
conscious awareness of Attributional Style and common attributional errors will
increase one’s ability to experience and sustain positive emotions.
Research shows that for every 1 percent improvement in the service climate,
there’s a 2 percent increase in revenue. According to Goleman, Boyatzis and
McKee in Primal Leadership (2002), how people feel about working at a company
can account for 20 to 30 percent of business performance.
Important concepts covered in the full 2,200 word article:
How Emotions are Contagious in the Workplace
People Work Better when Feeling Good
The Importance of Being Optimistic – and the Pitfalls
What is Attributional Style?
What are Attributional Errors?
The Power of Positive Psychology:
Authentic Happiness
A List of Resources on Positive Emotions
To purchase the full article with reprint rights: $79
The Art of Positive Emotions: What is Your Attributional Style? Click HERE
All word lengths are approximate.