Author: Ashley Holloway

Adopting a leadership for innovation stance using change management principles can promote a more human-centric approach to leadership.

A healthy dose of hopeful optimism is a good thing. In fact, the Mayo Clinic (2023) promotes positive thinking, a precursor to optimism, as being good for your overall health and well-being. Positive thinking is also a key part of stress management. But what happens when the pendulum of positive thinking swings too far in the other direction?The many health benefits of positive thinking, such as living longer, lower rates of depression, better cardiovascular health, and a decreased risk of certain chronic illnesses, are well recorded (Mayo Clinic, 2023).

Passing judgment is an inborn survival mechanism that helps humans discern bad from good, friend from foe, moral versus immoral. As a helpful and necessary part of life, we make judgments on a daily basis to help us navigate, interact with, and make sense of our lives and surroundings. Yet, the line between making a judgment and judging can be blurry at times. As a leader, how does one balance this paradox of judging something without being judgmental?

Distinguishing between what it means to be a kind leader over a nice leader is an important aspect of leadership and team building.

Avoiding failure has been ingrained in us our entire lives and is often maligned in society as a source of shame or embarrassment.