Walk Off Winning

17Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda: Get Rid of It

We previously discussed just how important it is to have a positive attitude, vision, and outlook in order to be a high-quality, long-term successful leader. This trait is even more significant when faced with adversity or failure. It can define whether you, as a leader, are capable of keeping an optimistic view in tough times to lead your people when they need it the most.

However, sometimes the people around you default to negative thoughts. These individuals can have an adverse effect on the culture you worked so hard to build. A leader needs to develop the skills to recognize and address any negative distractions within their organization, yet not become sucked into listening to outside noise from people who want to see you fail. Keep your group on track, and stick to your core values to aid your team's culture.

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda and the “Negative Nellie”

“I just don't know what to do with Mike. He won't follow any of our rules and is constantly doing the opposite of what I ask him to do. All he does is talk about negative things and say he could do better if he was in charge. He second-guesses every move I make when working with our entire office.”

Sound familiar? This is the “Shoulda, woulda, coulda” person in your office or organization, always looking for a reason to doubt. We have all been around this unhappy person. I call them “negative Nellies.” “Our supervisor shoulda done it this way, not how he said to do it.” “If ...