One of the key principles of Lead Positive is an asset-based focus on yourself: What do you bring to the party? What is uniquely true about you in terms of your skill sets and the competencies you’ve developed over time? I call that your signature presence.
Leaders in particular need to develop strategies for recognizing and reinforcing what they do well—this is what primes you to be the most effective and inspirational version of yourself in any situation. Now you may say to yourself, “I don’t need to be unduly grateful for who I am. I don’t need to praise myself.” But recognizing your assets is not about feeding a false ego; it is about keeping what you do best top of mind so that when you need those skills you have easy access to them.
One of the strategies for keeping your assets top of mind is taking a daily inventory of what has gone right. Ask yourself: What did I do today that pushed the needle? It’s a very simple exercise that creates a positive internal state of endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin—I call them the best neural cocktail.
On your commute home from work, give yourself a neurotransmitter cocktail by dwelling on what went right. Think of one thing that went right and ask, “What strength did I call upon to make that happen?” Focus on something that you were directly responsible for—not your team, not a fellow leader, but you. Get right to the heart of the moment when you made a positive difference by using a specific skill in your unique personal toolkit. And then when you get home, you can have an actual drink to your personal success!
Kathryn D. Cramer, PH.D.
Founder and Managing Partner, The Cramer Institute
