Are your stories building confidence?

All leaders need to build hope and belief. Whether it’s in the community, at home or at work people want to feel encouraged - especially when times are difficult. This isn’t about being unrealistic; rather it’s about recognising that the job of a leader is to leave people feeling more confident and energised, in every interaction.

So how can you step up your leadership at this time?

1. The first step is to notice your own conversational tendencies. Do you tend to talk about the latest drama and go to the worst-case scenario? Or do you focus more on what’s working, looking for those acts of generosity or resilience and finding optimism amid the disarray?

2. The second step is to practise. Stop spreading the fear and instead find more encouraging messages that you want people to steer off. And go out of your way to tell these stories to people who need to hear them. Actively practise building a greater sense of possibility.

3. Finally remember that you will also need what we call ruthless support. This means having people who will follow up with you and hold you to what you say you want to practise. Mentors and coaches are good examples of people who can embolden you and hold you to doing what you know is important.

This all may sound very easy but these principles sit at the heart of leadership. And your ability to build confidence in others has probably never been more important.

We love hearing and talking about community action groups, creative online initiatives and cooperative working among businesses that used to treat each other with suspicion. We also get encouraged by stories of clearer skies, cleaner rivers and acts of generosity by people to their neighbours. We think such stories are worth repeating.

So what stories are you telling that uplift the spirits?