Positive Leadership: Using Positive Psychology for a Better Workplace Culture

Preface
Contents
About the Author
Chapter 1: Introduction
	How This Book Is Structured
	Positive Psychology-Concepts
Chapter 2: What Is Positive Psychology, and Why Shall We Use It in the Workplace?
	Traditional Psychology Versus Positive Psychology
	What Do Google, Disney and Microsoft Have in Common?
	Positive Psychology Used in Team-, Leader-, Work Environment- and Organizational Development
	Positive Psychology in the Light of Existing Organizational Theory
	Perceived Support, Belonging and Work Effort
	Positive Emotions
	Positive Psychology Used in Teams
	Positive Psychology Used in Developing the Work Environment
	Positive Psychology Used in Leadership
	Positive Psychology Used in Organizational Development
Chapter 3: Research Results from the Use of Positive Psychology in Organizations
	Disengaged Employees Cost
	Reduced Turnover
	Increased Work Engagement and Well-being
	Increased Productivity and Bottom Line Results
	Reduced Sickness Absence
	Health Effects on the Employees
	PsyCap
Chapter 4: The Leader Role
	Employees Are the Leader’s Most Important Resource
	Leaders’ Opportunities to Influence the Workplace
Chapter 5: Positive Leadership
	Elements of Positive Leadership –MEGA IMPACT
Chapter 6: Factors in the Leader
	The Leader’s Own Mindset
	Which Factors Have Influenced Us to Become Who We Are and How We Think?
	Thoughts, Attitudes and Perceptions Can Be Changed
		A Leader’s Reflection/Reality Check
	How You Think, Influences Your Behavioural Repertoire as a Leader: Growth- and Fixed-Mindset
	Leaders’ Influence on Positive Emotions in the Workplace
		Leader’s Reflection/Reality Check
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
		Test Yourself: Are You a Positive Leader?
		Questions to Reflect on Your Own Position as a Leader in the Workplace
		Positive Emotions 1
		Positive Emotions 2
		The Best Possible Self
		You at Your Best – 360
		Show Gratitude
		Grateful Meditation
		Building a Growth-Mindset and -Perspective 1
		Building a Growth-Mindset and -Perspective 2
		Building Resilience
	Authenticity
	Authentic Leadership Leads to Increased Creativity in Employees
	Authentic Leaders Motivate Higher Levels of Performance
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
		Train Your Own Authenticity as a Leader
		Recognize Good Character in Others
		E-mails with Acknowledgement
		At the Beginning of Meetings
		The Weekly Team Meeting
		Checking on the Veracity – Team Exercise
		Leader Reflection/Reality Check
Chapter 7: Factors in the Leadership Tasks
	Goal Management. A Leader’s Task Is to Lead His/Her Employees Towards Goals
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
		Mapping by the Help of Organizational and Cultural Analysis
		Organizational Analysis
		SWOT-Analysis
		SOAR-Analysis
	To Connect the Company’s Goals and Visions with Meaning for the Employees
	Inspire and Motivate
	Leaders as Carriers of Culture and Builders of Attitudes
	How to Motivate
	Emotions Are Powerful Motivators
		Map Out the Motivation of Your Employees
		Establishing Focus Groups
		The Employees’ Best Possible Future Versions of Themselves
		Recognition Competition Among Employees
		Open Communication Channels
		Let Your Employees Use Their Strengths in Their Work
	Leaders’ Influence on Communication in the Workplace
	Our Words Create Reality
	Positive Communication Is Connected to Higher Performance
		Active-Constructive Responding (ACR)
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
		Establishing a Non-complaining Culture
		Three Days of Speaking Positively About Colleagues
		The Power in the Term «Not Yet»
		Registering Interruptions
		Active-Constructive Responding
	Workers Who Find Meaning at Work, Work Harder
	Recognition as a Management Tool
	Collective Support for a Good Cause
	Look for the Meaningful Parts of the Existing Jobs – Job Crafting
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
		Create Meaning through Collective Support of Others
		Job Crafting
		Find Meaning in the Different Projects You Work on
		Find Your Employees’ Strengths and Values in Projects
		A Culture of Appreciation
		Notes of Gratitude
		Conversations with Your Employees About Their Strengths and Ambitions
		Team Meetings Where You Discuss Purpose
		Facilitating More Meaningful Events in Everyday Work Life
		Mapping Out Six Inspiring and Meaningful Events
		Compare Personal Values with Daily Routines
	How to Best Build Good Teams and Good Relationships
	Generation Y – The Millennium Generation Has Other Demands from Their Work than Earlier Generations
	Positive Emotions and Achievements in Teams
	Growth-Mindset and Growth-Perspective in the Team
	How to Create a Growth Culture
	Strength-Based Composition of Teams
	Appreciative Inquiry-Processes in the Team
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
		Composing Teams by Strengths
		Strength-Based Seminars
		Feedback and Encouragement
		Creating a Culture of Growth in the Company
		Build Collective Optimism
		Reframing
		Reflection on Successes and Setbacks
		Gratitude Exercises
		Appreciative Inquiry
		Team Building Exercises
Chapter 8: Results in the Employees
	Engagement in the Workplace Is Worth Gold
	Leaders Can Help Employees Get into the Flow Zone
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
		Leader’s and Employees’ Reflection
		Increasing Flow in the Workplace
		Find Flow in Your Work
	Attitudes
	How Employees Increase Their Level of Performance
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
Chapter 9: The Strength-Based Leader
	Connections Between Use of Strengths and Engagement, Well-Being and Productivity in the Workplace
	Some Research-Based Facts About Strengths
	The Use of Strengths in Everyday Work Life
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
		Mapping Your Employees’ Strengths
		Come to Learn Each Other’s Strengths
		Group Exercise in the Workplace
		Strength Nomination
		Use Your Strengths in a New Way
		Use a Strength Every Day
		Group Exercises in the Workplace
		Handling Stressful Situations
		Appreciation of Strengths
	The Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Strengths
Chapter 10: Organizational Development with Appreciative Inquiry
	Phase 1: The Discovery Phase
	Phase 2: The Dream Phase
	Phase 3: The Design Phase
	Phase 4: The Establishing Phase
	Positive Psychology – Interventions and Techniques
		Reflection on Positive Situations
		Optimal Collaboration
		Inspiration and Work Engagement
		Appreciative Inquiry Tasks in an Organizational Development Process
		Tasks One Can Do in an Organizational Development-Programme
References
Index