Leading As A Thermometer & A Thermostat

I wholeheartedly believe leaders must be both thermometers (taking accurate readings of the temperature of a room) and thermostats (raising and lowering the temperature of a room when needed). That’s why the best leaders have a contagious positive energy to them.

This is directly connected to our complaint/gratitude ratio. No one wants to be around leaders who grumble, moan, and complain. Leaders are solution-oriented. Recently I read a story by Lillian Moore on this topic:

"A few months after my husband and I moved to a small town I grumbled to a resident about the poor service at the library, hoping she would repeat my complaints to the librarian. The next time I went to the library, the librarian had set aside two bestsellers for me and a new biography for my husband. What's more, she appeared to be genuinely glad to see me.

Later I reported the miraculous change to my friend. "I suppose you told her how poor we thought the service was?" I asked. "No," she confessed. "In fact—I hope you don't mind—I told her your husband was amazed at the way she had built up this small town library, and that you thought she showed unusually good taste in the new books she ordered."

 Notice your complaint/gratitude ratio this week – and remember: you’re both a thermometer and a thermostat.