Strategy is important. Organizational culture is important. When these two are in place but the company has a poor leader, things probably won’t go well. Among the most important attributes of leaders – one which is frequently ignored – is their positive energy. One that is far more important than influence or power. But why are humans so drawn to this type of luminous leader?
Kim Cameron, a world-renowned scholar, speaker and author known for his work on positive leadership and virtuousness, discovered the reason. Every living system, from single-cell organisms to human beings, is inclined toward light, toward that which enhances life. In his book, “Positively Energizing Leadership”, Kim explains why we need more affirmative dynamics in business: “an orientation toward strengths rather than weaknesses; toward abundance rather than deficits.” Businesses today need actions that inspire others “to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more.”
Kim has been recently recognized as being among the top 10 scholars in the organizational sciences whose work has been most frequently downloaded from Google. He serves as the William Russell Kelly Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business and is a co-founder of the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan. He became interested in “positive organizational scholarship” after studying the consequences of downsizing and discovering that “positive deviance” is a performance booster, all thanks to “Positive Energizers”.
In this inspiring interview for Community Index Magazine, Kim offers five keys to flourishing in trying times and explains how we can all become “Net Positive” Energizers!
1. A concept you researched and popularized is “the Heliotropic Effect”, the tendency in all living systems “toward that which gives life and away from that which depletes life, toward positive energy and away from negative energy”. How would you link it to sustainability and why is it relevant more than ever in today’s doom and gloom?
All forms of energy tend to diminish with use – be it physical energy, mental or emotional energy. When we expend these types of energy, they decrease. The only kind of energy that elevates with use – and is self-perpetuating – is relational energy. When we interact with individuals with whom we have a loving supportive relationship, energy increases. Relational energy is not only sustainable but it is magnified. Human beings flourish more readily in the presence of relational energy which is fostered by loving, compassionate, generous, kind, trusting relationships.
2. You discovered the numerous effects of “positive deviance”, including performance boosting. What makes a leader a “Positive Energizer” and how can one support the vitality of the organization, and encourage their teams?
Among the attributes of positively energizing leaders are: helping others flourish without expecting a payback, frequently expressing gratitude, instilling confidence in others, turning mistakes into learning opportunities, being generous and helping others get recognized, and motivating others to exceed performance standards. Evidence demonstrates that these kinds of behaviors lead to positively deviant outcomes: performance that significantly exceeds the norm.
3. In your speeches, you talk a lot about how “virtuousness is its own reward.” You believe virtuous actions – kindness, generosity, gratitude, compassion, or courage – produce successful outcomes, but they don’t need to in order to be valuable. What’s the most effective way to help leaders connect to their core values and act from that place?
All living systems, including all human beings, are inclined toward the positive. This is called “the heliotropic effect.” When children as young as three months old see one puppet display a positive act (e.g., helping) and another puppet display a negative act (e.g., blocking), children almost universally choose the positive puppet to play with. Human beings are inherently attracted to the positive. Enabling individuals, families, and organizations to experience a positive, virtuous climate will, almost universally, have a positive effect on well-being, productivity, and even profitability.
4. What are your “five keys to flourishing in trying times”? Can you share a guiding principle for leaders who need to be more inspiring during difficult moments?
Among the prescriptions for helping leaders flourish in trying times are:
• Focus on making a contribution rather than achievement. A great deal of research indicates that individual performance and well-being are significantly greater when leaders prioritize supporting others compared to focusing on achieving something for themselves.
• Believe in your profound purpose and meaningfulness beyond the immediate or mundane. Research indicates that individuals and organizations perform better when a meaningful purpose drives behavior.
• Count your blessings and frequently express gratitude to others. A great deal of research indicates that keeping a gratitude journal as well as thanking and acknowledging others’ contributions produces significantly higher levels of well-being and performance.
• Smile. A great deal of research indicates that a person’s pleasant demeanor and the act of smiling produces positive physiological effects as well as higher performance and well-being.
• Rely on 1% improvements. If one flies around the world but is off-course just one degree, the plane will land more than 600 miles from the starting point. Selecting a 1% improvement and sticking with it produces remarkable improvement over time, especially when others in the organizational also implement 1% improvements.
5. We never get exhausted around people we are in loving, supportive, and genuine relationships with. In the workplace, however, the situation can be different. How can an employee foster “positive relational energy” and handle disingenuous or manipulative co-workers and managers? What’s the best way to spot toxic positivity?
The irony is that negativity, criticism, and acrimony are almost universal. We are surrounded by “black holes,” or people who suck the light and positive energy from those around them. As a leader, four sequential steps can be used. When one step doesn’t work, move on to the next step:
• ask questions, seek to understand their perspective, and use “supportive communication”;
• offer coaching, training, and an improvement plan;
• make them peripheral; isolate the virus;
• help them flourish elsewhere.
This exclusive interview was first published in the bilingual yearbook Community Index Magazine no. 6, published in February 2025. You can browse it here: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-magazine-2024/
