Healthy Optimism-Toxic Positivity

Are you a toxically positive leader? Find out:
Optimism > positivity.

“Toxic positivity” happens when:
🫥 “Negative” emotions (like disappointment & frustration) are suppressed by the person feeling them

🫥 “Negative” emotions are dismissed by the person observing them in another person

Toxic positivity can cause:
❌ Stress
❌ Trauma
❌ Burnout
❌ Unsafe culture
❌ Feeling of “unbelonging”

Our society has been groomed over generations to practice toxic positivity (esp. @ work).

But we don’t stop experiencing emotions just because we are at work.

Leaders have the power to create a healthier environment.

And you can do this without losing credibility or a “strong” reputation.

Here’s how:

1️⃣ Cultivate a safe & transparent space:
↳ Work to build trust with your team & throughout it
↳ Acknowledge feelings when you see them in others (judgment free)
↳ Openly share your own feelings with your team (dare to be vulnerable)

2️⃣ Create sharing opportunities:
↳ Hold regular team & post-launch reflection meetings
↳ Encourage discussion about thoughts & feelings with open-ended questions

3️⃣ Address the lows with the highs in real-time:
↳ Remember, there’s always 2 sides to a coin 🪙
↳ When you celebrate a win, also discuss a challenge & dissect it as a group

Invest time in your & your team’s holistic mental health at work.

The ROI = healthier team, breeding grounds for innovation, better customer outcomes & more.

Seems worth it to me.