The Power of Positive Leadership

Jon Gordon 2017
Read: 2022
Education/Leadership, Non-Fiction

When I started as superintendent of the Placentia – Yorba Linda Unified School District, they had already adopted the theme of positive leadership for the year. I read Jon Gordon’s Positive Leadership as I explored the theme. Those of you who know me know that I am extremely optimistic and relentlessly positive. Unlike Candide, I do not believe that things just work out for the best. I believe though that if we work hard, and work through failure, we can make things better. I believe in Martin Luther King’s arc of justice idea, and that we will continue, through ups and downs, to build a society where all people are treated equally and where there is true justice. So with that belief in mind, reading Jon Gordon was an absolute pleasure. I’m with him.

Some highlights:

“We are not positive because life is easy. We are positive because life can be hard.” I love that.

“People who experience more positive emotions than negative ones are more likely to see the bigger picture, build relationships, and thrive in their work and career, whereas people who experience mostly negative emotions are more likely to have a narrower perspective and tend to focus more on problems.” I love this as well, and I have always tried to lead this way.

You can purchase the book here.