Positive Leadership Quotes

“Empirical evidence suggests that when people experience positive meaning in their work—or a sense of calling— performance is elevated and individual well-being is enhanced. Leaders enhance the meaningfulness of the task in at least four ways: (1) Identifying the positive impact that the work produces on the well-being of people fosters meaningfulness. The more human impact that can be observed—that is, how the work affects individuals for the better—the more meaningful the work. The more meaningful the work, the more individuals desire to share its effects with other people. (2) Associating the work with a virtue or an important personal value engenders positive meaning. Highlighting the relationship between work and sustainability, generosity, or compassion, for example, helps engender meaningfulness. Identifying a higher purpose that supersedes personal benefit is almost always a prerequisite to prosocial and contributory work activities. (3) Identifying the long-term effects of the work beyond immediate outcomes, and highlighting the ripple effect that may occur, also enhances positive meaning. Leaving a legacy that benefits people beyond the immediate circumstances represents a form of unselfishness that is associated with high levels of performance. (4) Building supportive relationships and a sense of community among coworkers also enhances positive meaning. Leaders who highlight and pursue contribution goals as opposed to self-interest goals enable important individual and organizational outcomes such as learning, trust, high-quality connections, and improved performance.”
― Kim S. Cameron, Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance

“As a leader, to what extent do you: —— Establish, recognize, reward, and maintain accountability for goals that contribute to human benefit, so that the effects on other people are obvious? —— Emphasize and reinforce the core values of the individuals who work in the organization, so that congruence between what the organization accomplishes and what people value is transparent? —— Tie the outcomes of the work to an extended time frame, so that long-term benefits are clear? —— Ensure that contribution goals take precedence over acquisition or achievement goals for individuals in the organization?”
― Kim S. Cameron, Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance

“Work is associated with meaningfulness when it possesses one or more of four key attributes: (1) The work has an important positive impact on the well-being of human beings (Brown, Nesse, Vinokur, & Smith, 2003; Grant, 2008; Grant et al., 2007). (2) The work is associated with an important virtue or a personal value (Bright, Cameron, & Caza, 2006; Weber, 1992). (3) The work has an impact that extends beyond the immediate time frame or creates a ripple effect (Cameron & Lavine, 2006; Crocker, Nuer, Olivier, & Cohen, 2006). (4) The work builds supportive relationships or a sense of community in people (Polodny, Khurana, & Hill-Popper, 2005; Rousseau, 1992).”
― Kim S. Cameron, Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance

“Internalization is a relationship defined by a complete and absolute adoption of organizational goals. Individuals who have internalized the organizational culture and mission have a conviction that what they are doing is right and good. Internalization leads individuals to adopt the organization’s purposes and priorities as their own (i.e., a calling orientation). Their loyalty to the organization is unequivocal, and their behavior embodies the values, mission, and activities to which the organization subscribes. These orientations toward a sense of calling and internalization in work are associated with the concept of meaningfulness. The more that individuals define their work as a calling and have a conviction that what they are doing is good and right, the more meaningful the work (Grant, 2008). High levels of meaningfulness in work have been found to be associated with positive outcomes and extraordinary individual and organizational performance.”
― Kim S. Cameron, Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance