The power of positivity…

This Friday night at 7:30 p.m., the opportunity for personal growth comes to the Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Van Wert by way of Jon Gordon. His influence has touched millions of lives around the world through his best-selling books and talks that have inspired readers and audiences. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 26 books including 12 best sellers and five children’s books. His books include the timeless classic The Energy Bus which has sold over two million copies, The Carpenter which was a top 5 business book of the year, Training Camp, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Power of a Positive Team, The Coffee Bean, Stay Positive, and The Garden.

Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends, and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Campbell’s Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Rams, Snapchat, Truist Bank, Clemson football, Northwestern Mutual, West Point Academy, and more.

We talked with author Jon Gordon and discussed the top five most important things that a leader needs to do to create a high-performance culture that doesn’t burn people out. Jon believes that this top five are essential when considering “The Power of Positive Leadership.”

1. Positive leaders drive positive culture and show appreciation for a job well done.

“Consistency creates culture. The more consistent you are with your words, your actions, with what you think, you highlight what you want and what the culture is all about.” – Jon Gordon

2. Positive leaders create and share a positive vision.

“We all need a vision and we all need a purpose. We all need a telescope and a microscope. The telescope is our vision, it shows us where we are going and it acts as our why. People don’t get burnt out because of what they are doing, they get burnt out because they forget why they are doing it.” – Jon Gordon

3. Positive leaders lead with positivity, optimism, and belief.

“Pessimists don’t change the world, nay-sayers say you can’t do it, complainers complain about problem about they don’t solve them, critics write words but they don’t write the future. Throughout history it is the positive leaders, the believers, the dreamers, the doers that change the world for good.” – Jon Gordon

4. Positive leaders confront, transform, and remove negativity.

“You’ve got to create the framework, the rules of engagement, the standards of behavior that address how everyone will handle difficult conversations and negativity. When you do that, you make it so that negativity doesn’t sabotage your organization.” – Jon Gordon

5. Positive leaders build great relationships and teams.

“It’s all about communication, connection, commitment, and caring. You have to communicate and make sure to fill the voids. Where there are voids in communication, negativity will fill it. It’s not just about communicating, it’s about communicating to connect. We have to demonstrate commitment, and commit to serving and sacrificing by putting the team first. If you show you are committed, you will have a committed team. You have to care about others, you have to care about your team. A leader who shows they care, builds a team who cares.” – Jon Gordon

Jon Gordon’s humble beginnings laid the groundwork for his enlightened growth mindset.

“I have experienced many ups and downs in my life and found that every time I talked about positivity and encouragement, I felt energized, and I knew that is what I wanted my life’s work to focus on. At the time, I had no idea that I would write about leadership, but I just jumped, and it led me to all these other things I could never have imagined.”

“Oftentimes, people think you have to have it all figured out when you start. Just go with your gut, and when you’re on the right path, it will lead to other things. Eventually, it will all come together in time. Everything prepared me for future ventures, and it’s crazy to see how far I’ve come.”

“I found my calling and purpose around 30 years old and didn’t become “successful” in my chosen career until I was closer to 40, so it took a long time to get there. One thing will teach and lead you to the next. Just be patient. Ask yourself ten years from now what do I want to create, what am I doing and what does it look like? Is it part of my core purpose? Don’t waste time ad energy on things that aren’t.”

Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations, and teams. This Friday night, any seat left open in the 1200-seat auditorium is a missed opportunity to be part of positive change. If you want to change the world, start with your local community. If you want to impact your local community, begin with positive leadership. Jon Gordon inspires the power of positive influence this Friday. Now is your chance. Tickets from $25 at vanwertlive.com.