Business Management ABCs

Why a Good Leader is Like the Weather Person

In my last corporate position, I managed a team of 200 people. As a leader for this large group, I initially had no idea how much my mood, attitude, and outlook impacted everyone around me. I just acted however I felt on any particular day, without much consciousness of the possible reaction from others. Thankfully, my natural disposition is on the more cheerful side.

However, with time and experience I came to understand that I could set the tone for the office, or what I affectionately began calling “The Weather.” I realized that it was my fundamental responsibility to be as positive and upbeat as possible – not only for myself, but for every single person who worked for me on a daily basis.

For example, as I greeted people in the office with a sunny disposition, the entire team seemed to feel good and adopt a similar attitude. This became crystal clear one day, when I entered the building in an uncharacteristically unpleasant mood. Scowling, I walked directly to my office without acknowledging a soul. Later, when I re-emerged feeling better, I noticed that the office seemed surprisingly dreary.

That’s when it hit me. As a leader, my mood had a very definite impact on the office climate. If I was sunny, others mimicked this outlook. But if I had dark clouds following me, the storm seemed to descend on the entire organization! This awareness made me think more consciously about how I “showed up” for the group. If I wanted the team to be motivated, happy, and optimistic, much of their attitude was a reflection of my own.

From that point on, I made a conscious choice to prepare myself before entering the office. I set my intention by saying this statement out loud to myself – “I feel great today and I’m going to share it with everyone.” When someone asked me how I was doing, I responded with comments such as “Great,” “Fantastic,” or “Super” but never with a bland “Good.”

One day an associate asked me how I did it. How did I maintain such an upbeat and positive frame of mind day after day? My answer was simple but powerful – “Because I choose it.” So keep this simple fact in mind, as a leader, you set the tone and your people react to your demeanor. They either can expend energy fending off your storm clouds or build on your positive energy to feel good and accomplish their goals. Become more aware of this important aspect of leadership. For the best results, make an effort to ensure that the “weather report” for your office is for clear, sunny skies.

(Paul is the President of Action Business Advisors, LLC, an ACTIONCOACH Business Coaching practice located in Shelton, CT. To contact Paul, e-mail at paullavoie@actioncoach.com or call 203.954.0035.)