Post 15: Chris Widener: The Art of Influence: Golden Rule #2

This is part three in the series of emails I've sent to my AVID Coordinators on leadership.  This post will discuss Widener's Golden Rule #2, Always demonstrate a positive attitude
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This is part 3 in the Leadership Series adapted from Chris Widener’s book, The Art of Influence.  As an AVID Coordinator, you are leading from the middle or a 360-degree leader as John Maxwell calls it.  You need to lead those beside you, under you, and above you.  Recall that Widener elaborated on his Four Golden Rules of Leadership in his book.  These four rules for leaders are:

1) Live a life of undivided integrity 
2) Always demonstrate a positive attitude 
3) Consider other people’s interests as more important than your own
4) Don’t settle for anything less than excellence

In this email, I’ll talk about rule #2, “Always demonstrate a positive attitude.”

The most important word in this rule is “always.”  It’s easy to be positive when times are good, but this is when a positive attitude is easy and frankly least useful.  The hard times are when your followers need you to have a positive attitude the most.  Widener points out that one of the best ways to overcome these times of difficulty and hold on to your positive attitude is to stay focused on the goal.  When you do that, then the small defeat that you’re dealing with seems insignificant in the face of things and your goal to get underserved students into college brings the conversation back to a positive tone.

We’ve all been in meetings where a brainstorming session has just ended and somebody chimes in and says, “Let me be devil’s advocate.”  All of the shoulders in the room droop, everyone slouches in their chairs, and smiles wipe from the faces around the table.  This is not the effect that you want to have on a group.  Try to be the “angel’s advocate.”  When conversations are going sour, jump in and send the conversation in a constructive direction.

Besides focusing on the goal, Widener also recommends focusing on solutions.  It’s important to define a problem before figuring out how to fix it, but once the problem is defined, begin working on solutions.  It’s so easy to slip into complaining mode during meetings, but it doesn’t accomplish anything except a negative attitude.  AVID coordinators are great at setting up positive Site Team Meetings and certification meetings (the good times) but your positive influence is important in other meetings that you don’t control also; leadership team meetings, school site council meetings, department meetings, etc.  It’s important that you help set the attitude in these meetings as well for the good of the students.

When you are in control of the agenda of a meeting, be sure to purposefully put time in the agenda for positivity.  Add time to share positive personal stories.  Have students or former students come in and tell teachers what a difference they’ve made in their lives.  Play an inspirational video like “212 Degrees” or the hundreds of videos of student speakers on the AVID Center YouTube Channel.  Acknowledge awards and accomplishments of those in the room.  Ask yourself, “What can I do at this meeting that will make people look forward to the next meeting?”

Not only will a positive attitude help make meetings more valuable and enjoyable, but it will also make people want to follow you.  In other words, it will increase your influence amongst your peers, students, and leaders.  In order to spread AVID strategies schoolwide, you’ll need that sort of influence.

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How do you set a positive tone in your meetings?

Here's the 212 degrees video: