Have you ever worked with anyone who was so positive that it made you cringe?

No matter what is happening they always look at the bright side of life, are constantly smiling, saying thank you to everyone for every little thing even when they are not performing well.

Don’t get me wrong, I am someone who strives for positivity and when I veer towards the negative, I try and dial it back.

What I am talking about is what is sometimes referred to as toxic positivity.

In such instances, aside from performance issues going unaddressed, a refusal to acknowledge the reality of challenging situations can erode trust.

Smiling constantly from ear to ear while facing adversity can seem disingenuous.

People don’t want to hear be positive when staff are being laid off.

On the flip side, being negative and grumpy all the time also has its perils.

The, “I call it like it is” sharp feedback that cuts deep.

Constantly pointing out the flaws of others while never looking in he mirror.

Looking at everything that is not done and complete and ignoring what has been achieved.

This type of negativity can be draining and demotivating

It is quite evident that I don’t believe either approach is the way to proceed.

People want to be heard; they want to be supported in good times and bad.

Leaders need to acknowledge bad situations and show empathy yet also encourage forward movement because at the end of the day, it is a work environment, and the core necessary work needs to get done.

This is what I call building humanistic relationships, and it does not always have to come with a fake smile on your face.

As such, my approach in leadership is balance.

Don’t ignore problems and just expect or hope they will go away, yet once they are addressed, move forward and don’t dwell on them, learn from them.

Listen, bookmark, validate. Be consistent in good and bad, this is what builds trust.

Balance is better than imbalance, you won’t risk falling over to one side.