The smell of roses and golden powdered sunshine
Maud Hart Lovelace once wrote, “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.”
Maud lived between Minnesota and New York (and later retired in California), in case you too were curious.
The impact of moods
I was catching up with a neighbor recently via text, and she said:
“It is a glorious day here, a beautiful start to Memorial Day weekend for sure . . . makes you happy to be alive!”
She carries this sense of appreciation with her wherever she goes.
It's contagious, and it is hard to be in a bad mood around her.
Even though we were in different physical locations when we were texting, her note caused me to look outside, notice the beautiful day where I was, and think —she's right! It is a glorious day and it does make me happy to be alive.
As leaders, we have the same opportunity every single day.
Have you ever noticed that the mood of your leader has the power to impact the mood of the entire team?
Or that the mood of your sometimes-volatile colleague can impact the mood of the entire department?
I once worked with someone who would stomp (literally) around the hallways when upset, frustrated, or just generally in a bad mood —and lets just say, people noticed.
MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT
This doesn't mean that we need to proclaim that it's a glorious day when it isn't or tell our team that the world smells of roses (though I wonder what would happen if we did?!), but it does mean that we can be aware of our impact as leaders, and that we can consciously work to make that impact a positive one.
This might mean:
Checking our baggage before we walk in the door or enter a zoom meeting (more on that in the third invitation of Expansive Impact if you're curious)
Starting our day in a joyful way,
Having our favorite breakfast,
Or taking a moment to reflect on what we're grateful for.
It doesn't need to take a long time or involve anything fancy.
But by doing so, we have the opportunity to shift our own mood and to create positive ripples with others.
What do you think?
