“Culture Change” has been a buzz-word in businesses of all types for a while. One of the most important ingredients in culture change is positive leadership. While this might seem obvious, there is actually a science behind positive leadership and how powerful and influential it can be in any workplace.
According to research performed by the HeartMath Institute, when an individual has a feeling in their heart, whether it’s positive or negative, that feeling travels to every cell in the body and then outwards to other people. A team of researchers in the 1990s discovered that such feelings can be felt by people up to 10 feet away. People literally feel what one’s heart is expressing in real time.
Leadership must take this seriously, because each and every day, they broadcast what their heart is feeling to their staff and others they come into contact with. Researchers from Harvard University also found that emotions can be contagious, and affect others in positive or negative ways. Leaders, then, can affect a lot of people through their attitudes, energy, emotions and behaviors.
So, what kind of energy should leaders transmit to their employees? Regardless of the situation or circumstances, leaders should broadcast very specific types of energy to their team. Positivity, love, compassion, and purpose are the types of emotions from the leader’s heart that will uplift the workplace, motivate employees, and drive success.
Words are important. Emotions and energy may be even more influential when it comes to being a positive leader. If leaders want to seriously change their workplace or corporate culture, it must begin with them. Leading with a positive heart seems like a good place to start.