𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟱 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺-𝗶𝘀𝗵: 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲

The Competitive Advantage of Positivity 

About a year ago, my Director of Risk Management and our colleagues at Lockton joined me for a training put on by our insurance broker. It wasn’t the kind of session I expected to leave with leadership lessons. Yet the speaker, a performance coach who works with professional sports teams, offered more than insurance updates. He walked us through how elite athletes train their minds for endurance, resilience, and focus. 

He encouraged us to drink tart cherry juice, float in sensory deprivation tanks, wear biometric bracelets, and get eight hours of sleep. I only tried the first two. He also casually mentioned how he once brought a trained bear along on a team hike to test the athletes’ fight-or-flight response, which, I will admit, stole my attention. But beneath the unusual anecdotes, one message stood out: positivity is not fluff. It is a competitive advantage. 

What Positivity Really Means 

In leadership circles, positivity sometimes gets dismissed as shallow cheerleading or empty motivational slogans. But true positivity is something else entirely. It is resilience under pressure, optimism in uncertainty, and mental strength in the face of adversity. 

When I think about the most effective leaders I have worked with over two decades in multifamily operations, they shared a common trait: the ability to project positivity even when circumstances were difficult. Not because they ignored problems, but because they believed solutions were possible. Their mindset did not deny reality—it expanded it. 

Positivity broadens vision. It reveals solutions that stress or negativity can obscure. It fosters adaptability when plans change and growth when the team is challenged. And perhaps most importantly, it sustains persistence, grit, and resilience when momentum slows. 

Positivity and Culture 

Culture does not emerge by accident. It is built intentionally by leaders who live their values consistently. Over time, those values shape the root system from which results grow. If the root system is poisoned by cynicism, distrust, or constant negativity, the culture eventually withers. 

But when leaders demonstrate optimism and resilience, the culture follows. Teams feel safe to bring forward ideas. Mistakes are seen as part of learning, not as reasons for punishment. Challenges become opportunities to prove what the team can handle together. 

I have seen this firsthand in affordable housing communities where pressure never lets up. Properties with leaders who lead with positivity consistently outperform those where negativity reigns. Residents feel the difference. Staff turnover reflects it. Even owners can sense it in how operations are presented and sustained. 

Positivity and Teams 

Teams that practice positivity consistently outperform those that don’t. Adversity is inevitable. Market conditions shift. Compliance requirements increase. Maintenance backlogs grow. Negative teams fracture under that pressure. Positive teams bond through it. 

The difference lies in perspective. A negative outlook narrows focus to what is wrong. A positive outlook broadens focus to what is possible. When leaders frame adversity as shared challenge rather than looming disaster, teams rally together instead of retreating into silos. 

At one property, a boiler failure hit in the middle of winter. The difference between panic and persistence was the site manager’s response. She acknowledged the stress, communicated openly, and focused the team on what could be done step by step. Residents noticed. Ownership noticed. And the team emerged not just intact but stronger. 

Positivity and Relationships 

At its core, positivity strengthens relationships—both at work and at home. It is the glue that keeps teams engaged and households resilient. Research consistently shows that happier, more engaged teams are the product of leaders who model optimism and reinforce trust. 

I have found that some of the most effective leadership conversations I have had with staff were not about technical performance at all. They were about mindset. Helping someone reframe a problem, reminding them of their strengths, or pointing them toward possibilities often made a bigger difference than any checklist or policy memo. 

The Bear in the Street 

That night after the training, I walked back from the Golden Bee Pub at the Broadmoor. As I turned a corner, a black bear ambled across my path. My instinctive response was not fight or flight, but to take out my phone and snap a picture. That moment reminded me of what the coach had said earlier in the day. We cannot control when the “bear” shows up, whether in the woods or in our work. What we can control is the mindset we bring to the encounter. 

In leadership, the bear might be a budget shortfall, a compliance notice, or an unexpected staff departure. We can panic. We can freeze. Or we can pause, reframe, and move forward with clarity. The mindset we choose sets the tone for everyone watching. 

The Leadership Challenge 

Whether you are weathering storms or celebrating wins, the willingness to lead with positivity is not optional. It is a force multiplier. It makes teams stronger, cultures healthier, and results more sustainable. 

This does not mean ignoring problems or pretending challenges do not exist. It means approaching them with a belief that solutions are possible, people are capable, and setbacks are temporary. It means recognizing that resilience, grit, and optimism are as critical to leadership as technical skill or operational expertise. 

Closing Reflection 

As I reflect on that training a year later, I am reminded that positivity is not about cheerleading. It is about leadership presence. It is about showing up with warmth, wit, and wisdom when others are tempted to spiral into negativity. 

In multifamily housing, where the stakes are high and the pressures constant, positivity may be the most underappreciated competitive advantage we have. It shapes culture. It sustains teams. It strengthens relationships. And it transforms challenges into opportunities. 

So as you begin this week, I hope you pause long enough to ask yourself: how will I model positivity today? Because whether you are working in the weeds or leading from the watchtower, the mindset you bring sets the tone for everyone around you. 

And if you need an extra push, just imagine a bear showing up on your walk home. What response will your team see in you?