Profit from the Positive summary

To be a true leader, it isn’t enough to be productive – you also have to be resilient. Because the truth is, we all experience setbacks and disappointments. What matters most is how quickly we bounce back.

So don’t quit just because something went wrong in the past. Rather, be grateful for these mistakes and learn from them. Use these experiences to help you confront current challenges.

We don’t always realize it, but our moods have a powerful effect on everyone around us.

That’s because emotions are catching, as explained by social contagion theory. Basically we humans are hardwired to mimic each other’s facial expressions and moods. According to the theory, just one person in any team of five can “infect” the other four.

Now that you embody productive, resilient and contagious leadership, there’s another attribute you need to master.

You need to become a strength-based leader – someone who focuses on strength, not weakness.

Every organization needs new people every now and then. The trouble is, how do you find the right people?

This question is a serious one because hiring mistakes are expensive: factoring in everything, each mistake costs a company around five times the hire’s salary!

Here’s something you may find surprising: Focusing on what people do well, rather than their weaknesses, will boost productivity.

This means once you’ve assessed your own strengths, you should start focusing on what your employees do best.

Performance reviews can be an uncomfortable experience for managers and employees alike. But they don’t have to be.

Instead of going into a performance review to evaluate your employee, see it as a time to re-energize them.

Imagine a world in which your employees actually look forward to meetings. It might sound impossible, but you can make it happen.

How?

By now you’ve read about quite a few tools and ideas for effective leadership. But how can you actually apply them to the real world?

First of all, start small. You don’t need anyone’s permission to use these tools; you don’t need your boss or the HR department to get on board.