Why Leading with Positivity Isn’t Delusional — It’s Essential
The Stoic Case for Positive Leadership.
“You’re almost too positive”
That’s actual feedback I got…more than once.
It wasn’t said as a compliment.
The subtext was clear:
“Be a bit more realistic, mate. Not everything is sunshine and success.”
But here’s the thing: they’re right. Not everything is positive.
And yet, I still believe choosing to lead with a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) is one of the most powerful tools I have as a leader.
Not as some forced-smile, American-corporate-training-video version of optimism. (We’ve all seen them…and skipped through those annoying horrible d list actor low budget compliance videos)
But a grounded, resilient, eyes-wide-open type of belief.
So, this one’s for the sceptics…and the slightly-worn-out delivery leads…and the team leads just trying to hold it all together.
Let me tell you why PMA isn’t just wishful thinking. It’s strategy.
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Negativity Is Easy…and Contagious.
Our brains love patterns. Especially negative ones.
It’s literally chimp brain in motion.
Our brains are wired for survival, not happiness. The “chimp brain” — that primal, emotional part of us — is constantly scanning for threat, not opportunity.
It’s the same bit that kept us alive on the savannah by assuming the worst rustle in the bushes was a predator..and it still runs the show more often than we think. That’s why negativity sticks like Velcro, and positivity seems to slide off…it’s why people always write negative opinions or reviews but rarely positive ones (Look at the News).
It’s a pattern-seeking machine, and unfortunately, threat patterns get VIP access.
So if you as a leader start defaulting to that mindset, calling out all the things that are wrong, flapping when things go pear-shaped, falling into moaning or blame, you can be sure your team will follow.
Negativity is a short-term bonding mechanism. It feels good in the moment. But it kills long-term belief.
…and once belief dies, so does momentum.
The Stoics had a word for this kind of self-inflicted suffering: premeditatio malorum, the premeditation of evils. It’s useful to be aware of risks, but wallowing in them achieves nothing.
As Marcus Aurelius said, ”The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
A leader’s job isn’t to be consumed by obstacles. It’s to turn them into forward motion.
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PMA Isn’t Ignorance. It’s a Choice.
Having a positive mental attitude isn’t about pretending bad things aren’t happening. That’s called denial. And it’s not helpful.
PMA is about this:
“We know the problem. Now let’s find a way through it. Together.”
It’s the decision to:
Look for what’s possible, not just what’s broken
Speak to people’s potential, not their flaws
See a setback as feedback, not failure
I often remind myself: ”There are only two outcomes in life: blessings or lessons. And if you learn the lesson, it eventually becomes a blessing anyway.” (this is literally my mantra. Not sure where I picked it up, but its my guiding star to life)
This mindset has saved me countless times. From team conflicts to project delays to those horrible “why did we commit to this” moments.
The Stoic Epictetus wrote, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” And that reaction — that choice — is what separates the leaders who spiral from the ones who rise.
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Real Positivity Can’t Be Faked
We’ve all sat through those compliance training videos where everyone is just a little too cheerful. Where the positivity feels like it was dragged out of a marketing deck from 1997.
Nobody buys it. Because it’s not real.
Genuine PMA comes from the core. It’s built through:
Experience (you’ve seen tough times turn around before)
Trust (you believe in the people around you)
Resilience (you’re not shaken by the first sign of trouble)
If it’s performative? People will sniff it out in seconds.
If it’s real? They’ll follow you through a wall.
In fact, the more grounded your optimism is in lived experience, the more contagious it becomes.
You’ve earned the right to be positive.
Not because things are easy, but because you’ve shown that progress is possible.
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You’re Setting the Emotional Tone
Whether you like it or not, your team is watching you.
When things go sideways, they’re scanning your face. Listening to your tone. Taking cues from how you show up in the room.
If you panic, they panic.
If you complain, they complain.
But if you keep showing up with energy, belief, humour, and forward motion? That spreads too.
In high-pressure environments, your attitude is your leadership.
It might be the most powerful tool you have.
This is where Stoic thinking really shines. The idea of the inner citadel — your internal fortress, untouchable by external chaos. You can’t always control what happens. But you can control how you meet it.
As Seneca put it, ”A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.”
That friction? It’s not failure. It’s the forge.
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Reflections
Being positive doesn’t mean being naive. It means being useful.
Because the moment you stop believing progress is possible, you stop being a leader and start becoming a passenger.
Stay grounded. Be honest. But lead with the kind of belief that lifts people.
Because when you choose to see every challenge as either a blessing or a lesson — and you help your team do the same — you create a culture of resilience, not reaction.
And that changes everything.
Key Takeaways
Negativity spreads fast, but belief builds momentum
PMA isn’t fake smiles — it’s choosing to focus on solutions
Your team takes emotional cues from you every day
Positivity must come from a real place of trust and resilience
Reframing challenges as blessings or lessons builds emotional strength
Stoic leaders aren’t detached — they’re clear-eyed and determined
If you’ve ever been told you’re “too positive”… take it as a compliment.
Because I’d rather be annoyingly hopeful than predictably hopeless.
Follow me on medium: https://medium.com/@jdotharrison
