Olivia: Alright Jackson, I'm going to say the title of a business book, and I want your gut reaction. Ready? How to Be a Positive Leader. Jackson: Oh boy. My gut reaction is a stock photo of someone smiling at a salad. Is this going to be 45 minutes of 'just be happy' and 'synergize your passion'? Olivia: I get it, but you're in for a surprise. This isn't a fluffy self-help book. We're talking about How to Be a Positive Leader: Small Actions, Big Impact by Jane Dutton and Gretchen Spreitzer. Jackson: Okay, the title still sounds like it should be on a pastel-colored poster. Olivia: I hear you. But these two are basically the godmothers of a whole academic field at the University of Michigan called Positive Organizational Scholarship. They're serious researchers, and this book is a collection of insights from a whole group of them. It's less about inspirational quotes and more about evidence-based practices. Jackson: Okay, university professors. That's a different vibe from a salad stock photo. So they have data, not just platitudes? Olivia: Exactly. And that's the whole game. The book argues that we've hit a wall with the old model of leadership—working harder, longer, faster. It’s leading to burnout, and younger generations are demanding a change. The authors believe the greatest competitive advantage today is a positive and engaged brain. Jackson: A positive and engaged brain. I like the sound of that. But I’m still skeptical. The book has a pretty mixed reception online. Some people love it, others say it’s a bit basic. How do you convince a room full of cynics—like me, or say, a bunch of stressed-out executives—that this 'positivity' stuff actually works? Olivia: That is the perfect question. And it brings us to the perfect story that kicks off the book's foreword, which is actually written by another big name in this field, Shawn Achor. It’s a story that perfectly captures the core idea.

Olivia: Picture the scene. It's the height of an economic crisis. Achor, a young, thirty-year-old researcher, gets invited to Zurich to speak at a massive Swiss bank. The topic? "Positive Leadership in Uncertain Times." Jackson: Whoa. That’s like trying to sell sunscreen during a flood. The timing seems… terrible. Olivia: Exactly. He walks into a room filled with senior leaders, managing directors, all looking grim. And to make it worse, the senior HR leader who has to introduce him is clearly unhappy about it. He gets up and says something to the effect of, "Hello. As you know, we don’t have bonuses for everyone, but here is a talk on happiness… from a guy from America." Jackson: Ouch. That is a brutal introduction. He basically threw him to the wolves. What happened? Did they just stare at their phones for the whole three hours? Olivia: Achor said the non-verbal stonewalling was immediate. Arms crossed, leaning back, total skepticism. He was, understandably, pretty nervous. But he didn't start with platitudes. He didn't say, "Hey guys, just think positive!" Jackson: What did he do? Olivia: He started talking about the science. He laid out the research on creating rational optimism, on the measurable effects of deepening social support during a crisis. He wasn't selling an emotion; he was presenting a data-driven strategy. Jackson: So he treated it like an engineering problem, not a therapy session. Olivia: Precisely. And he said about ten minutes into the talk, something shifted. He saw the leaders start to lean forward. They started taking notes. The wall of skepticism began to crumble, brick by brick. By the time they got to the first break, he was flooded with questions. Jackson: Really? What kind of questions? Olivia: They weren't abstract. They were specific, practical questions. "I have a team member who is really struggling, how can this research help them?" or "How can I apply this concept of social support to my team's weekly check-in?" They saw the practical application. Jackson: Hold on, so he walked into a lion's den and won them over not with motivational fluff, but with science? That's the key. Olivia: That is the entire key. The story ends with the global head of HR coming up to him and saying he would be visiting all of their banking centers—in Asia, Europe, and the United States—to give this talk. All because he didn't ask them to have faith in him; he asked them to look at the evidence. Jackson: That’s incredible. It completely reframes the idea of "positive leadership." It’s not about being a cheerleader. It’s about being a strategist who understands human psychology and uses evidence to improve performance and well-being. Olivia: Exactly. And that’s the foundation of this whole book. The authors, Dutton and Spreitzer, argue that positive leaders see possibilities for greatness in people, and they understand that small, evidence-based actions can have a tremendous impact. They can actually shift the rate of improvement from a normal trajectory to an extraordinary one. Jackson: Okay, so the Zurich story proves you can get buy-in, even from the toughest crowd. But what do you do once you have it? The book's title promises 'small actions.' What are they? It can't just be about giving inspiring talks. Olivia: You're right. The talk is just the door-opener. The real work happens in the day-to-day. And that brings us to the book's core argument about how to generate excellence from within.

Olivia: The book is structured around four clusters of strategies, but a huge part of it focuses on unlocking resources that are already inside the organization. The core idea is that in a world where leaders are always asked to do more with less, the answer isn't to find more external resources. It's to become an alchemist. Jackson: An alchemist? Okay, I'm intrigued. Turning lead into gold? Olivia: In a way, yes. Turning latent potential into active energy and engagement. One of the key ways to do this is by building what the book calls "High-Quality Connections," or HQCs. Jackson: "High-Quality Connections." That sounds a bit corporate-speak. What does that actually look like on a Tuesday afternoon when my inbox is on fire? Olivia: It’s simpler than it sounds. An HQC is basically any interaction that leaves both people feeling more energized, not drained. The book gives a few very practical ways to build them. The first is respectful engagement. Jackson: Meaning… just being polite? Olivia: It's more than that. It’s giving someone your full attention. Think about being in a meeting with your boss while they’re also typing an email. You don't feel seen or heard. Respectful engagement is putting the phone down, closing the laptop, and making eye contact. It’s a small action that signals "you matter." Jackson: Huh. That is small, but it's also increasingly rare. I can see how that would make a difference. What else? Olivia: Another one is "task-enabling." This is about actively helping others with their work. It could be offering a piece of advice, connecting them with someone who can help, or just stepping in to lend a hand when you see they're overwhelmed. It builds a sense of "we're in this together." And a third one, which might surprise you, is encouraging play. Jackson: Play? At work? Now you're losing me again. Are we talking about foosball tables and beanbag chairs? Olivia: Not necessarily. Play, in this context, is about creating an environment where people can be creative, experiment without fear of failure, and share a bit of lighthearted humor. It’s what builds bonds and psychological safety. It’s the opposite of a sterile, transactional environment where everyone is just a cog in a machine. Jackson: I can see that. When you can joke with your colleagues, you feel more connected and probably more willing to take risks. So, High-Quality Connections are about attention, help, and a bit of fun. That feels achievable. What other alchemical tools does the book offer? Olivia: Another huge one is "Job Crafting." This idea comes from a chapter by Amy Wrzesniewski. Jackson: Job Crafting. So you’re saying I can just… change my job? My boss would love that. Olivia: It’s not about rewriting your job description. It’s about using the discretion you already have to reshape your tasks, your relationships, and your perception of your work to better align with your strengths, passions, and values. Jackson: Can you give an example? How does that work in practice? Olivia: Let's say you're an accountant. Your core job is numbers. But maybe you're really passionate about mentoring. Job crafting would mean you proactively offer to help train new hires or start an informal knowledge-sharing lunch for your department. You haven't changed your title, but you've "crafted" your role to include an element that gives you energy and meaning. Jackson: So you’re adding a layer to your job that makes it more fulfilling. Olivia: Exactly. Or you can craft your relationships. Adam Grant, another contributor to the book, talks about "outsourcing inspiration." He shares research showing that when you connect employees directly with the people who benefit from their work—the end users—their motivation and productivity skyrocket. A university call center saw a massive jump in fundraising when they simply had a student who received a scholarship come and talk to the callers for five minutes. Jackson: Wow. Because suddenly it’s not about hitting a quota; it’s about helping a real person. The work has a purpose. Olivia: You got it. That’s job crafting in action. You're changing the meaning of the work, not just the tasks. The leader's role is to create an environment where this kind of crafting is possible and encouraged. They unlock the resources of motivation and purpose that are already sitting there, dormant, within their people.

Jackson: That makes so much sense. So when you put it all together, it seems the big idea here is that leadership isn't about being a superhero who swoops in with a giant new budget or a revolutionary new product. It's more like being a gardener—or an alchemist, to use your word. Olivia: I love the gardener analogy. Jackson: You're cultivating what's already there. You're tending to the soil with these High-Quality Connections, and you're helping each plant—each person—grow in a way that's natural for them through job crafting. It’s all done through these tiny, consistent, positive interactions. Olivia: That’s a perfect summary. The book argues that these small actions create a ripple effect. They build trust, they foster collaboration, and they unlock human potential. And the best part is that anyone can do it, regardless of their formal title. You don't need to be a CEO to practice positive leadership. Jackson: It feels much more accessible. It’s not about a personality transplant; it’s about adopting a few deliberate, high-impact habits. Olivia: Exactly. And the authors would say the easiest place to start is with one of those 'small actions.' It’s about building a muscle. You don't go to the gym once and expect to be strong. You build it over time with consistent practice. Jackson: So what’s one concrete thing a listener could do this week, inspired by this book? Olivia: I think the most powerful and simple one is to practice respectful engagement. Maybe this week, in just one meeting, you intentionally put your phone away, turn off your notifications, and give one person your full, undivided attention when they are speaking. See how it feels for you, and watch how they respond. That's a High-Quality Connection in the making. Jackson: I like that. A small, non-scary action. It’s not "go be a positive leader," it's "put your phone down for five minutes." That I can do. We'd love to hear from our listeners—what's one small positive action you've seen a leader take, or that you've taken yourself, that had a big impact? Let us know on our socials. Olivia: This is Aibrary, signing off.