The Power of Positive Leadership

Jon Gordon, a bestselling author and renowned speaker, graced the stage yesterday morning to speak about the power of optimism and how it so strongly affects our ability to lead.

Gordon drilled down that the most important characteristic of a leader is optimism. And what do positive leaders do to make a difference? "Positive leaders drive positive culture, and culture drives expectations and beliefs," Gordon said. "It all starts with the culture we create."

In the changing landscape of health care, HR leaders must lead with optimism. All organizations will face challenges, and successful organizations have leaders who lead with optimism about the future. "Our optimism is a competitive advantage," Gordon said. "And positivity is a game-changer."

So how do optimistic leaders build winning teams? Gordon shared his ‘Three Cs’ with attendees:

1. Communication. It builds trust, commitment, teamwork and results. Where there is a void in communication, negativity will fill it. Communicate both collectively and individually. 
2. Connection. Communication builds the process, but connection earns the trust. Earn the right to help people grow by developing meaningful relationships. 
3. Commitment. If we want commitment from our team, we have to show that we’re committed to them. 

And when you have the Three Cs, you can move on to embracing love, serving and caring. 

• Love: The love you put into it determines what you get out of it. Show your love through serving others. 
• Serving: When you serve in small ways and plant yourself as a seed, you grow into the leader you’re meant to be. Engage and serve people where you are: both at home and at work. We bring out the best in others by serving them. 
• Caring: The way we stand out in our organizations is to care more than anyone else. Caring is so much about doing the little things that matter. When you care more, you do more, and ultimately you become more. Excellence begins with caring – when you care more, it drives you towards excellence. 

In the end, Gordon reminded us that we must connect with our purpose. "We don’t get burned out by what we do, but because we forget why we’re doing it," he said. "Remember your bigger purpose."