Positive attitudes and increased motivation have everything to do with the leaders and the individuals within the company. They also have a lot to do with the culture and a clear organisational identity that embraces and values positivity. Leaders must outwardly embrace the fact that positivity is not just part of a successful mindset, but also a powerful way to lead. It is one of the great catalysts for growth and profitability, and a key driver for health of the people and the organisation.

In a previous article, we discussed that positivity drives organisational performance, permeating through all aspects of an organisation’s culture and strategic system thereby increasing performance, connectivity, happiness, and motivation across the workforce.

Our research also identified and defined the five key elements of positivity: Inspiration, Mindfulness, Happiness, Optimism, and Gratitude. (revisit Moment of Clarity July 5).

When we understand the definition of positivity and set the expectation around it for our workforce and those around us, we are able to more actively embed it in our daily actions and interactions. Positivity requires leaders to be open, honest and vulnerable. More importantly, it requires a level of intentionality and practice.

To assist you in making strides towards the goal of increasing positivity in your workplace, here are four exercises which individual leaders can practice:

1. Purposeful Positivity and morning exercises: This is where you identify things to either let go of, to carry forward, and to express gratitude towards. Keep a pad of paper near the door, and before you leave the house, write down one thing you will leave behind, one thing you will carry forward for the day, and one new thing you will seek out during the day. Check back in on your note at the end of each day to see how you did.

2. Knowing your “circuit breakers”: We have identified 13 “circuit breakers” that sap energy, direct people away from their goals and negatively impact progress and productivity.

It is important that we identify them, evaluate and consider their impact on us as individuals and then build strategies to mitigate them in the places in which we work. Plan a visit to our Bermuda Clarity Institute to use the interactive circuit breakers training exercise on our eastern wall of the main facility. (Visit our website to book a time and to learn more)

3. Huemanize with MindMaps™: At BCI, we also developed a unique system and product to help normalise the brain around conversations and meetings by labelling meetings and feelings with colour and describing our moods in an interactive and supportive way.

By “hue”manizing this with colour, participants become more empathetic and increasingly open to new ideas and collaborative opportunities. This system can be introduced into any office environment in order to create shared mindsets and facilitate open conversation. Our system includes multiple exercises for each colour and relational mind maps to help get everyone into the right mood.

4. Be “Great Full”: This is a daily exercise we use to identify great work we witness, create or are a part of. It is important to reinforce the greatness around us – and that starts by recognising it. It’s often as simple as recognising great work, writing it down and sharing a personal handwritten note with the person you noticed. The adage “to give is better than to receive” rings true here in that recognition fosters gratitude which impacts positivity.

For those seeking even more insights and exercises on building positivity, my recently published Forbes Book – The Formula for Luck – includes an entire chapter on positivity: as it represents one of the ten powerful principles of building a luck mindset. It is available on Amazon (including digitally) and locally in hard cover from Bermuda Book Store.

At BCI, we believe positivity starts at the top and leaders must actively practice and pursue their own personal growth within positivity so they can exhibit this leading style to their organisation.

To learn about Bermuda Clarity Institute’s research on the impact of positivity in the workplace, or to immerse yourself in our experiential learning systems, please drop by our facility or visit us at www.clarity.bm.