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How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World

The key leitmotif throughout this book pivots around the idea of transforming organizations under the guidance of leadership.

It truly is a complex process, but if you are serious about getting the most out of your business circle, then you have to enforce it by all means necessary.

In this summary, you’ll be able to digest the accurate definition of Positive Leadership and understand why Jon puts the emphasis on it.

Let’s dive into it!

Who Should Read “The Power of Positive Leadership”? And Why?

Not all of us are leaders, not all of us aspire to absorb their role, but we all need some knowledge on how to interact with people and protect our common interests.

With that said, we can now get an aerial perspective and realize why excelling at leadership should not be construed as a privilege, deemed only for top managers or executives.

We all require those skills on a day-to-day basis.

Generally speaking, we believe that “The Power of Positive Leadership” could be of use to everyone, but we feel like leaders in-the-making should be given the priority.

About Jon Gordon

Jon Gordon is a well-known American author, speaker, consultant and leadership expert born in 1971. He came to prominence in 2007 with the best-selling book “The Energy Bus.”

Jon also wrote

• One Word That Will Change Your Life
• The Power of a Positive Team
• The Carpenter
• The Hard Hat

“The Power of Positive Leadership PDF Summary”

Jon starts on the right foot but also dazes the readers by sharing that innately he is not a positive person. He had to work his way through life in order to transform its mindset and seize the momentum.

He recalls that back in the days when psychology and self-help genre swept the Western World, he remained skeptical and started practicing the things he had been subjected to.

Jon came to the conclusion that being a better and cheerful person affects the whole world. The change he saw in his father evinced some excitement to continue down that path and make headway in the journey.

So, what’s the goal of being positive or what incentivizes a person to espouse similar principles?

The beauty and carelessness of life rarely prompt us to resort to positivity; in fact, it’s the other way around. The hardship in life and troublesome encounters act as an impetus for people to cast doubt on their mindset.

You might ruminate on the idea of building a world-class organization, but that will not get you anywhere. There will be times when you’d feel like the whole world is crashing down on your shoulders.

Such stalemate generates a destructive force that should be met with its own weapons. We presume that you already know that teams with positive synergy are much more likely to get the job done, and that same applies to marriages.

Talented and honest people are much willing to add to the functionality of the group system, rather than those who are overwhelmed by negative emotions.

It’s more than just common sense; it’s also an irrefutable fact!

Jon believes that culture, cannot be encompassed into just one aspect, and has to be embodied in the structure of society. It reflects how we feel, how we act, how we tend to respond, and whether our mindset is in tune with the environment we live in.

For the same reason, it’s crucial to discern pattern and expectations that drive the behavior of the community. The same principle applies to habits and the culture we nurture at an organizational level.

Case in point – Apple; founded by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs.

From the outset, these two geniuses were keenly aware of the culture they wish to promote and reward. In reality, their sole concern was to challenge the status quo and make “Culture” the primary propeller or engine of the company.

Culture beats strategy!

In that regard, one can clearly define what the company stands for, or from where it derives its strength! In other words, the company must be able to answer the following questions:

• What do we stand for?
• What do we want to be known for?

This leads to understanding the “Mission Statement” that is put on the pedestal by the business community. Remember, it doesn’t matter what you have written on the walls or the website if you don’t abide by those rules with each breath.

Creating a better future for the people working with you or under you is, in fact, the core of positive leadership. It encompasses innovation, management, strategic approach, relationship building, law regulation, transportation, finances, etc.

A proficient leader leans on acceptable norms, and then join forces with likely-thinkers. Its main job revolves around the idea of gathering as many goal-oriented people as possible under one common objective and mapping out an actionable plan to help the execution.

We are led to believe that optimism surmounts all other characteristics that exemplify excellent leadership, but what to do with the pessimists?

Should we lay them off?

It’s easy to push the button and act as the executioner, but that’s not what Jon is advocating for! First, find the nearest mirror and look into the eyes of that person and ask yourself: Am I the person I deem everyone else should strive to become?

If you recall some past events, you’ll see that at the time you perceived them as obstacles, but nowadays you regard them as challenges and opportunities.

The bottom line is, our reaction is often an ill-defined interpretation of how some situation is unfolding. The British conducted a study to learn more about qualities that predict success in life, and they found out that people who experienced some kind of trouble in their adulthood were more likely to endure potential twists down the road.

The way you look at these obstacles determines the likelihood of a positive outcome, to say the least.

In addition, Jon gives a brief explanation of a phenomenon named: The Curse of Experience.

The paradox is best described as – The longing for the good old days, which in fact, influences your present and future. It’s a self-destructive mechanism that many leaders embrace, both consciously and unconsciously.

A huge and essential part of leadership is to understand that we are masters of our world. The world doesn’t create itself outside of us; we do it from the inside! Hence, you must accept liability for the risks your organization undertakes, and counter-measures to stifle down potential unrest.

You are as powerful as your team deems you to be, and that authority stems from good decision-making.

The objective sense of genuine leadership is often times put under scrutiny; a process that wields power to distract the organization and distort reality. However, bear in mind that leaders throughout history had the power to make their own objective perception in order to make the most out of the situation.  

For the sake of uniting people, they are forced to change the rules of the game. Walking on eggshells is not an attitude positive leaders embrace, nor promote. The ability to consolidate all the forces, put them under the same roof, and lead them into “battle” is truly the backbone of successful management.

In addition, let’s list a couple of ground rules for making a positive impact on the organization:

• Connection Is the Difference
• Team Beats Talent When Talent Isn’t a Team
• Collaborate and Facilitate
• Dictatorship Doesn’t Work, and It Isn’t Cost-Effective

A true leader doesn’t require a follower-base, but the people, in general, are willing to follow him/her. They tend to adopt his/her vision, and then do everything in their power to put it into practice.

Some say – leadership starts with love, while others believe that legitimate authority and respect play a key role.

Can we all come to terms, and agree that all of these facets matter equally?

Jon explains that genuine leaders strive for excellence, and are optimistic about the future. It’s not like they are trying to reach excellence, but they also don’t discard it as well.

The main contrast is best illustrated in the following quote:

Positive leaders are humble and hungry.

They are cognizant of their lack of knowingness and are more than willing to broaden their horizons. That’s what defines both humbleness and an unquenchable thirst for expanding their prowess in any matter.

If we take a critical look at some of the world’s top brands and their organization, we’ll see a pattern. All of them have a distinct culture that guides their efforts, both individual and organizational. Success is based solely on merit, and egregious misconduct is punishable.

If you are attempting to build a company, startup or any kind of organization, you’ll need a winning team which can abide by similar principles. You need contacts forged in the fire of struggle and common goals.

Only then you can bring your organization to the next level, and preserve the fire burning inside you!

According to Jon Gordon, grit is what makes all the difference. It represents the real bulwark for success and prosperity in every regard.

It’s also important to mention that many people are doing something they hate. Truthfully, that is the main cause for mediocrity or something that impairs one’s ability to flourish.

You have to be engrossed fully in what you do in order to surmount all obstacles and become a winner.

Take this situation for example – How can you become an NBA superstar if you don’t like basketball in the first place.

We all have heard tales about Michael Jordan and other Hall of Famers who gave up on everything to follow their dreams. It’s pretty simple – if you don’t put up the effort, energy, heart, and endurance, you are not going to make it.

The same applies to leadership.

Key Lessons from “The Power of Positive Leadership”

1.      There are no ends in leadership
2.      The magic of the 1% rule
3.      Find your purpose

There are no ends in leadership

While talking to top-notch leaders including the legendary George Raveling, Jon discovered that it’s impossible to cross the finish line regarding leadership.

It’s all about pushing and improving, with no end in sight. The bar can be raised innumerable times, and that’s something out of your control.  

Those who can carry the burden of continuous enhancement and struggle will be rewarded!

The magic of the 1% rule

As a general rule of thumb, Jon lays out the 1% principle which embodies combativeness and positive aggressiveness.

It manifests the leader’s ability to increase its efforts by 1% every single day.

It also pinpoints that becoming a better person the next day is what lies at the end of the battle.

Find your purpose

Even if you are worn out from life, and want to take a breather, you mustn’t forget that without an end-goal, you’ll get lost.

Having said that, there’ll be periods when sadness and deep dejection will get the better of you, but keep in mind that those are just temporary states.

Allow anxiety and aimlessness to recede, and you’ll find yourself once again on the right track.

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“The Power of Positive Leadership Quotes”

Our Critical Review

We covered a lot of ground today with a single intention in mind – to have the makings of a great leader.

Jon helped us understand what it takes to rise from the crowd and to resist the temptation to make quick judgments.

Let this be a lesson of positive leadership and how to excel at it.

Keep learning!

Also published on Medium.