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  • Writer's pictureMike Brown

Positive or Negative: There is No Neutral

Many years ago, I was at a leadership development conference. Some presentations were serious, and others were funny. Some were long, and some were short. As you can probably relate, the topics have faded from my memory. I can't even recall the location or name of the event.

But I vividly remember one topic! A speaker (who, again, I regretfully can't recall!) was on stage and shared a principle I’ll never forget. It went something like this: “When you interact with someone, you have either a positive or negative impact on them,” said the speaker. “There is no neutral. It’s one or the other; ultimately, it’s the most important thing the person will remember about you. Did you enrich their life and make them feel good, or did you extract from them and make them feel bad?”

I’ve carried this lesson with me ever since. When I’m at my best, I positively impact people by choosing an optimistic attitude, listening to them, and acting empathetically. That's for human-to-human interactions. Let's unlock the same principle for company-to-human interactions! A company has either a positive or negative impact on its customers, team, and community. There is no neutral. It's one or the other, and ultimately, just like human-to-human interactions, the most important thing the person will remember about a company is its impact on them - how it made them feel. This clarifies that founders and leaders can set priorities to positively impact people to concentrate their resources to inspire, align, and achieve their vision. Trust will be built, and profits will surely flow from this approach. Perhaps the business doesn't currently embody this approach. That's an opportunity to evolve. By focusing their company on making a positive impact, business leaders will attract A+ players in every position and have a culture that aligns with their purpose. Are your company-to-human interactions having a positive or negative effect on people? If negative, would you like to make a different choice? If positive, would you like to amplify them to become more profitable? That's where I can help. My passion & expertise is to coach & consult business leaders to build a more profitable business by positively impacting people and the planet.

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