Positive Attitude Essay
As we all know people love to be around positive people. Negative people always bring you down and usually do not accomplish goals they have set. In the work world, you do not want anyone on your team be negative. It can rub off on anyone in the group, or the whole group. However, it is also true for a positive attitude and self-concept. Those who are positive tend to be more driven and have a better self-concept. This paper discusses the importance of having a positive attitude and self-concept as a leader. It discusses steps and way to develop these traits.
How to Develop a Positive Attitude and Self-Concept as a Leader Attitude is a mental position relative to a way of thinking or being; a leaning toward that which you believe (Purkey, 1988). A positive attitude is the inclination to generally be in an optimistic state of mind. Positive attitude, positive thinking, and optimism are all characteristics that will make a leaders life more positive and increase their self worth. A leader will most likely be more successful when using all of these characteristics to their full potential. Let’s focus on how a positive mind-set can help leaders overcome life’s challenges. There are just some people in the world that cannot look past all the negative and start looking at the positive things in life. If you cannot get past the negative and start concentrating on the positive you cannot succeed as a great leader because your mind will be elsewhere. To accomplish a task a leader must have full concentration on the objective. Any deviations can hinder the team and objective (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459). A positive mind set gives the leader the ambition and drive to accomplish the goals your organization as given you. Everyone has goals. Some may be bigger and more advanced than others but every leader has a goal. To accomplish these goals, a leader must “focus on putting their life out there and risking it for success” (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459).
To have a positive way of thinking you must have healthy self-esteem or self confidence. “The self-esteem is the part of you self-concept that determines your self-worth” (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459). Websters dictionary define self-esteem as “a confidence and satisfaction in oneself” (“Self-esteem,” 2010). Many leaders have low self-esteem due to many reasons. Some leaders compare themselves to other leaders. You cannot compare yourself to another leader because their motives and objective are usually different than your own. Some leaders allow the people who surround them influence their ideas. For example, if you are developing a new concept for a company. However, your team mates do not like the concept or idea you probably will give in due to peer pressure. You have allowed others to influence your decision. This is neither good nor bad, just depending on the situation. When you receive support and encouragement from significant people than that is when you start to appreciate yourself (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459). You may be thinking “no one ever appreciates you,” however, may be you should be the first to complement others. You are the leader, so lead.
The author believes everyone is created for a special reason. We all have different talents and a way of thinking. You also have the choice on who you hang out with as well as who influences you. Not hanging around people who have bad influences in your life will likely be the first step to having a better outlook on life. You are more likely to succeed in a leadership position if you surround yourself with supportive people (Campbell & Martinez-Perez, 1977, pp. 455-459).
The author believes there are two types of self-esteem. You have positive self-esteem and negative self-esteem. Positive self-esteem is having an ‘I can accomplish this task.’ Positive self-esteem people are usually fun to be around because they have a ‘cup half full’ outlook on life. A negative self-esteem person has a “cup half empty’ outlook on life. They are always down and can even have a negative influence on the people they surround themselves with.