The Power of Positive Leadership How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World

We are not positive because life is easy. We are positive because life can be hard. As a leader, you will face numerous obstacles, negativity, and tests. There will be times when it seems as if everything in the world is conspiring against you and your vision seems more like a fantasy than a reality. That’s why positive leadership is essential! Positive leadership is not about fake positivity. It is the real stuff that makes great leaders great. The research is clear. Being a positive leader is not just a nice way to lead. It's the way to lead if you want to build a great culture, unite your organization in the face of adversity, develop a connected and committed team and achieve excellence and superior results.

Since writing the mega best seller The Energy Bus, Jon Gordon has worked and consulted with leaders who have transformed their companies, organizations and schools, won national championships and are currently changing the world. He has also interviewed some of the greatest leaders of our time and researched many positive leaders throughout history and discovered their paths to success. In this pioneering book Jon Gordon shares what he has learned and provides a comprehensive framework on positive leadership filled with proven principles, compelling stories, practical ideas and practices that will help anyone become a positive leader.

There is a power associated with positive leadership and you can start benefiting yourself and your team with it today.

JON GORDON is the author of numerous bestselling books and his inspirational talks have motivated audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by countless Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals, sports teams, and nonprofits. Jon invites you to visit and connect with him at JonGordon.com or on Twitter @JonGordon11.

1 From Negative to Positive 1

2 Real Positive 7

3 Positive Leaders Drive Positive Cultures 13

Your Most Important Job 16

Culture Beats Strategy 17

Know What You Stand For 19

More than Words 21

Positively Contagious 22

Create a Culture that People Feel 23

Invest in the Root if You Want the Fruit 24

You Must Keep Building Your Culture 26

4 Positive Leaders Create and Share a Positive Vision 29

A North Star 32

A Telescope and Microscope 34

Dabo Swinney’s Vision 34

Keep the Vision Alive 38

Make the Vision Come Alive 38

My Vision 40

5 Positive Leaders Lead with Optimism, Positivity, and Belief 45

Believe It and You’ll See It 50

If You Don’t Have It, You Can’t Share it 51

Feed the Positive Dog 51

Talk to Yourself 52

It’s All How You See It 53

Tell Yourself a Positive Story 54

Challenge or Opportunity 56

Shark or Goldfish 56

Think Like a Rookie 57

Defeating Murphy 59

Inside Out 59

Distort Reality 60

Leadership Is a Transfer of Belief 61

Lead with Faith Instead of Fear 63

Be an Over-Believer 64

Don’t Stop Believing 66

Your Leadership Journey 67

6 Positive Leaders Confront, Transform, and Remove Negativity 69

Your Positivity Must Be Greater than All the Negativity 72

No Energy Vampires Allowed 73

Why Wait? 74

The First Step Is to Transform 75

Start at the Culture Level 75

Remove the Negativity 77

Sooner or Later 77

Lead from Where You Are 79

Implement the No Complaining Rule 79

Michael Phelps’s Positive Leadership 82

Don’t Be Negative about Negativity 83

7 Positive Leaders Create United and Connected Teams 85

Connection Is the Difference 88

Team Beats Talent When Talent Isn’t a Team 91

Dabo Swinney’s Seat 93

Collaborate and Facilitate 94

Don’t Let Your Reptile Eat Your Positive Dog 95

8 Positive Leaders Build Great Relationships and Teams 99

Love Does 101

Love Is the Greatest Leadership Principle on the Planet 103

Rules without Relationship Lead to Rebellion 104

Communication Builds Trust 104

Where There Is a Void in Communication, Negativity Fills It 106

Leading by Walking Around 108

Listening Is Communicating 110

Enhance Your Positive Communication 110

Be an Encourager 113

Believe in Others More than They Believe in Themselves 114

Help Your Team Become Unstoppable 115

Connect One on One 117

Be Committed 118

Serve to Be Great 119

Doing the Laundry 120

It’s Not About You 123

Commit to Coach 124

Commitment Requires Sacrifice 125

When You Help Others Improve, You Improve 126

Elite of the Elite 127

Positive Leaders Care 128

Develop Your Caring Trademark 129

The Sandwich 133

9 Positive Leaders Pursue Excellence 135

Humble and Hungry 137

There Is No Finish Line 139

Demanding without being Demeaning 139

Love and Accountability 140

Love Tough 143

Craftsmen and Craftswomen 144

The One Percent Rule 145

Clarity and Action 146

10 Positive Leaders Lead with Purpose 149

Find and Live Your Purpose 153

Share the Purpose 155

Inspire Others to Live Their Purpose 155

Purpose Driven Goals 156

One Word 159

Life Word 160

Leave a Legacy 161

Give People Great Stories to Tell 162

Life and Death 164

11 Positive Leaders Have Grit 167

Know What You Want 171

Know Your Why 171

Love It 172

Embrace Failure 173

Keep Doing Things the Right Way: Trust the Process 174

Ignore the Critics; Do the Work 175

12 Lead the Way Forward 177

Notes 189

Acknowledgments 191

Bring the Power of Positive Leadership to Your Organization 193

Power of Positive Leadership Resources 194

Other Books by Jon Gordon 195

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