Positive leadership is not about making the best decisions or casting the most compelling vision for the organization. These may lead to success, but one can be successful organizationally or financially and at the same time be known as someone to avoid or for their negative attitude. A positive leader is one who elicits positive emotions from his reports and coworkers. This means that positive leadership is a product of a leader’s relationships, for it is in knowing, helping and serving people that he can elicit a compelling and uplifting emotional response.

Positive leaders approach each interaction as an opportunity to grow the worker, communicate vision, and reinforce values. This style of leadership helps to create emotionally healthy workers. Those who don’t vent strong feelings to others at work contribute to a better work environment. Emotionally healthy workers have patience, resist impulsive behavior, and don’t react in fear or anger. These traits come, in part, from a leader who encourages emotional health and acts in a manner that helps to bring it about. Consider how a positive leader…

Always encourages. A positive leader looks for ways to encourage versus criticize. To get the best of out people he emphasizes the best in them. Romans 15:5 says, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.” This reminds faith-centered leaders that they are to be of encouragement to others as Christ Himself has been of encouragement to them. By adopting this same attitude, the positive leader seeks to encourage at every opportunity.

Models servanthood. Positive leadership is often embodied in the servanthood of the leader, one who is “in the trenches” and with his people instead of hovering above them. Here again Christ gives an example saying, “For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27). The positive leader views his reports as people he can support through his actions versus a team simply designed to follow his instructions.

Prays for those he leads. Unique to the faith-centered leader is the positive characteristic of prayer. When a leader prays for his people, he takes interest in their personal and spiritual health. Prayer is petitioning God on behalf of others and an earnest desire to see God’s best for them. 1 Timothy 2:1 says, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…” This positions prayer as a foundational element in positive leadership. When the leader prays, he is asking God for productive and spiritually-enriching outcomes in the lives of others.

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