Leadership and The Attitude Contagion

During my active career, I used to spend a lot of time travelling for business so hotel stays for me became somewhat commonplace.  And, I experienced a variety of attitudes from hotel staff as well.

On one particular trip to Toronto, I stayed in a hotel that was, and is, a rather posh place to hang your hat so I was quite looking forward to the experience.

Even so, on arrival, I felt an unmistakable chill in the air… and it wasn’t the air conditioning. The bellman, a rather tall and portly man, looked distinctly unhappy. In truth, his attitude toward me had a whiff of disdain about it as he unlocked the door to my room and ushered me, unceremoniously, inside.  Hmmm, I thought, not a good start.

Once in the room, I realized there was no hair dryer in the bathroom.  And so I phoned housekeeping.   The Housekeeping department tersely informed me that while they would supply me with a hair dryer, I would only be allowed to keep it in my room for half an hour.  Really?

This person didn’t sound happy either.  Needless to say nor was I.

In contrast, my husband and I recently went on a short road trip to Vancouver, Washington.  We stayed at the Heathman Lodge, an upscale hotel built to blend harmoniously with the Pacific Northwest environment.

Here, we were warmly welcomed.  The hotel staff was upbeat, positive and friendly.  I saw no miserable faces, no reluctance to serve and no disdainful glances.

In the restaurant adjacent to the hotel our experience was even better.  The wait staff was more than accommodating.  And each morning at breakfast, Cecily greeted us with a cheerful smile.  Cecily exuded happiness.  She and the others, who all remained cheerful in spite of the busy breakfast period, helped us set our own moods for the day

People were happy.  And so was I.

So what’s the message here?  Well, there are a number of them but one that stands out for me is this.  Attitude is contagious.

If you are a leader, formally designated or otherwise, know that you are probably also a Chief Attitude Officer.

Simply put, that means that the atmosphere in your place of work is created largely by the attitude you bring to it.   And, as it is unlikely that anyone wants to encourage an attitude that creates unhappiness in employees and customers alike, here are a few thoughts about making positivity the contagion of choice:

Know What You Value

Being clear about what is important to us as human beings is critical to creating a kind of internal compass that guides our choices and decisions.  In the workplace, knowing what we value and doing work that aligns with those values is equally important.  If there is a misalignment of values between the leader and those who follow, then generally, a less than positive working environment is the result and poor attitudes tend to prevail.

Be Consistent

Okay so it’s one thing to be clear about our values.  It’s possibly another to demonstrate them consistently.  Like it or not, the leader is the role model.  If the leader strays from the values being espoused, it is likely that everyone else will too.  So, not only do we have to be clear about what they are and believe in them, we have to live by them and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to them as well.

Be Generous

Most businesses and organizations provide service in some form or another. And, even within organizations, everyone serves someone.  To me, generosity is the key to success in this.

Generosity is one of those things that spills over from one person to the next.  It makes sense then that if a leader’s approach to those who follow is generous in nature, that attitude will transfer to others and serve to lift the mood of everyone who comes in contact with it.

It seems simple enough doesn’t it?   But is it?  What do you think?

If you are a leader (a.k.a. Chief Attitude Officer) and believe in the power of generosity, what does it look like for you?  In your organization what values do you see at play?  Where or who do they come from? How do you use them?