Despite the challenges happening in the world, I genuinely hope you had an enjoyable July 4th holiday. Over the holiday, I took a few moments to reread the Declaration of Independence. One of the most famous lines of the document is “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” However, Americans aren’t very happy.
Have you ever met a negaholic and thought to yourself I wish I were more like them?
It’s much easier than you might think.
Here are some surefire ways to jump-start your negaholic journey. World-class negaholics adopt all seven of these habits, but if you can make just one of them a habit, you will be well on your way to being a negaholic.
Frankly, I get tired of people bashing management because it is almost impossible to function without good management. “Management” is the only group in an organization that people openly bash. I have read countless organizational consultants and strategists praising leadership skills over management skills as superior and more important.
The What’s Going Well mindset movement needs you. Look around, and you must admit the world needs positivity right now. The What’s Going Well mindset is not one of those movements or ideas where you’ll want to sit on the sidelines. If you do, the “Negaholics” will win—in your communities and workplaces.
I believe you should use most of your time and energy focusing on your strengths. However, leaders must reserve some time to improve their weaknesses.
The first step in any improvement is awareness. It is difficult, if not impossible, to improve weaknesses if you are not aware of it. Seeing yourself in action or paying close attention can help you identify your weaknesses. Getting honest feedback from those you respect is a gift, so receive feedback with an open mind. However, if you receive a singular piece of feedback from someone, verify it with others as well since feedback is subjective.
As a leader, you must embrace change and remain a student, or find yourself perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists.
You can long for the good old days as much as you want—I miss going to Blockbuster too. Enjoy the memories, but you must move forward and prepare for the world of today and tomorrow.
