As a leader, you impact the lives of many – your colleagues, your customers, your suppliers, and your professional community. What you may forget though is that you also impact their families, their friends, their circles of influence and even their churches.
Every culture has a ‘Spillover’ as well as a ‘Crossover’ effect.
You know them both well, even if you didn’t know how psychologists had labeled them. When you come home from work in a negative or positive mood, it effects your relationships (Spillover). When you come home from work the mood you come home in can be contagious to other people in the house, causing them to pick up your mood (Crossover).
As researchers from Cornell have shared: “Positive spillover occurs when satisfaction and stimulation at work translate into high levels of energy and satisfaction at home. Negative spillover occurs when problems and conflicts at work drain and preoccupy individuals, negatively impacting their behavior and experiences with their families and partners, and deteriorating those relationships.”
People who are happy at work are more productive, engaged, committed, creative, generous and healthier. They serve their families and communities better. And when they are happy at work they create more value for the organization and the customers. It’s a positive, reinforcing, appreciating cycle that returns value to the bottom line reliably.
Especially as a leader, your emotions are contagious and you’re always broadcasting them. Here’s a quick “Positivity Practice” for you to make you a little more mindful of your impact on others.
Check What You’re Broadcasting
Check your “state” before walking into your workplace. What are you thinking about – is it positive or negative, optimistic or pessimistic? Is it “energy gaining” or “energy draining”? Are you preoccupied with a problem or are you focused on your positive intention for the day?
You broadcast your emotions even if you don’t know it. Become aware of it. Notice. Turn your dial to a more optimistic, uplifting channel.
Think about yesterday – from the hours of 2 – 5 PM. At that time what were you doing, thinking and broadcasting?
What do wish you were doing, thinking and broadcasting?
50 – 70 % of how employees perceive the climate is due to the actions of the leader! Leaders set the mood. What mood are YOU broadcasting?
Have a happy day,
JoAnna
Got a little extra time? Grab your lunch and Watch my interview on Blab.tv
