The Importance of AttitudeIn Leadership

Darin Cook

MGMT 410

July 4, 2011

AgendaIn this slideshow, I will give details about why attitude is an important characteristic to effective leadership and present the following topics:

• Attitude Within Leadership• Attitude Makes the Leader• The Power of Positive Attitude• Attitude Reflects Leadership• Bad Attitude

• Attitude Affects Everyone• Attitude Control• Examples to Lead With

Why Attitude?Attitude is everything. More so is Attitude In Leadership. Having the right attitude towards life is imperative if we want to see leadership success.

The good thing about an attitude is that it is your choice how you wish to look at life. It is within your control at any moment in your life.

Attitude Within LeadershipThe attitude of the leader has a huge impact on the culture, environment,

and mood of the department or organization. The leader’s attitude tends to spread and affect others

dramatically.

Attitude Makes the LeaderA good leader has the attitude of

serving his troops at all times, often at the expense of his own morale or

personal needs. A good leader truly cares about the morale of the team, pushes and motivates his team with

respect, a relentlessly positive attitude and with a genuine heart!

A good leader sets the tone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,

365 days a year.

The Power of Positive Attitude

The success of your organization is really very much dependent on your attitude in leadership.

Attitude Reflects Leadership

Inspire people to be the best they can be, inspire them to do things they didn't think were possible, and to achieve their own personal and group goals.

Attitude Reflects LeadershipThis movie, Remember the Titans, released in 2000, follows a football team of segregated students who learn how to come together and achieve great things. Throughout training camp, the senior captain gets on an emotional down and feels like quitting. He’s had it. He doesn’t care about what will happen in the future because he most likely hasn’t even thought that far ahead. But a fellow teammate ends up getting in his face and confronts him, saying three words I will never forget…”Attitude reflects leadership.”

Click the link below to watch the video clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGhz4OA6Wgg

Bad Attitude = Bad Leadership

NO ONE WILL FOLLOW A LEADER WITH A BAD ATTITUDE

Studies show that bad attitude from a leader can cause subordinates to cause silent destruction within the company and property damage due to the lack of care about the organization.

Replace “I can’t” with “I CAN!” 

How do you know?• If you are not well liked and respected then you

will have consistent, self-imposed obstacles placed in your path that inhibit your ability to be an effective leader.

• If people see you coming and quickly run the other way, you have an attitude problem.

• If the majority of your conversations and interactions are negative or confrontational you likely have an attitude problem.

• If you struggle with recruiting, team building, and leadership development you likely have a bad attitude.

Attitude Affects Everyone

• Your attitude will be contagious. Those around you are likely to follow your lead.

• When a leader is upbeat in the face of discouraging circumstances, others admire that quality and want to be like her.

EnthusiasmEnthusiasm for work or a particular assignment can be contagious and, at the very least, it can improve team morale. One of the greatest obstacles facing all managers is motivating staff.

Some experts say you can't motivate another person to do anything, but only influence a person towards self-motivation.

Attitude ControlA leader’s control of their own attitude, and the power of their positive thinking must not be so extreme that they become dysfunctional.  Yet, on the other hand, a leader must not allow themselves to become paralyzed by a crisis.  Neither must a leader allow their team to notice that they are stymied by a situation.  Certainly a leader will be concerned by circumstances, and maybe even share that concern among their team, but the leader won’t stop there.  The leader will develop a plan and press on.

Attitude ControlPeople often communicate on auto-pilot without thinking about what they are doing and their impact on others. Until you stop and take a hard look in the mirror, this pattern will continue. It’s time for leaders with bad attitudes to do an intense communication quotient inventory to find their weakest areas of communication.

Examples to Lead With• Example 1

PositiveI’m happy. This is a great day. I know I’m going to have a good day today.NegativeI’m not at all happy. What a rotten day. Everything I touch is going wrong.

• Example 2

PositiveI’m laughing because I made another silly mistake. But I can fix it and keep on learning.NegativeHow embarrassing! I made another mistake. I feel foolish and don’t know what to do, but I’d better not let anybody know.

• Example 3

PositiveI’ll keep smiling because it seems to spark positive responses in others. I feel better and so do they.NegativeI don’t feel like smiling. Life is awful, and you’d better stay out of my way.

ConclusionIt would be valuable for us as leaders to work on our skills and experience. You can by all means: read books, attend courses, embrace opportunities to develop your gifts and get coached. Let's become as well-equipped and competent in our field as possible.

Never under-estimate the importance of attitude.

SummaryTo have a great attitude in leadership, we must constantly be aware of the things that are influencing us. As a

leader, you’ll be constantly influencing people, but as a person,

you yourself will be constantly influenced by your surroundings.

Life can throw you many circumstances, but how you react

to it is still your choice.

Sources Cited

• http://www.n2growth.com/blog/attitude-reflects-leadership/• http://salvos.org.au/more/whats-new/2011/05/23/leadership-attitud

e-is-contagious/• http://johnmaxwellonleadership.com/2010/09/24/attitude-is-contagi

ous-%E2%80%93-what-are-people-catching-from-you/• http://policelink.monster.com/training/articles/1846-leadership-in-t

he-21st-century• http://leadershiptraininganddevelopment.com/blog/2011/01/how-d

o-you-control-your-attitude/