I was watching the news this morning. Okay, I’ll admit it—that was my first mistake. But I did, and I felt sick. Economic downturns, rising inflation, political upheavals, bombings, and the looming threat of war.
It was enough to make me want to crawl back into bed. Instead, I put what I preach into practice, which got me thinking: as leaders, how can we stay positive and keep our teams motivated when the world seems determined to test our patience?
The answer: Perspective.
The Viktor Frankl School of Leadership
Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl once wrote:
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”
If Frankl could find meaning and resilience in the worst imaginable conditions, then surely we can apply this lesson to leading teams through uncertainty, managing change, and dealing with that colleague who always wants to “circle back” rather than make a decision.
Reframing Negativity – The Leadership Superpower
Your brain is an interpretation machine. Two people can experience the same event—say, a sudden company restructure—and react completely differently. One panics. The other sees an opportunity.
The event is the same. The meaning assigned to it? That’s the game-changer.
As a leader, you set the emotional tone for your team. If you let negativity take over, it spreads faster than office gossip. But if you model resilience and adaptability, your team will follow suit.
What Can You Do?
✅ Change the Narrative. Instead of saying, “This is a disaster,” ask, “What can we learn from this?” Even layoffs, budget cuts, or sudden leadership shakeups can be reframed as opportunities to innovate.
✅ Lead with Empathy. People don’t need toxic positivity (“Just be happy!”). They need authenticity. Acknowledge challenges, but also highlight the path forward.
✅ Control the Controllable. You can’t stop inflation or make Monday mornings illegal, but you can control how you respond and support your team.
✅ Find the Wins. Even in chaos, there are small victories. Celebrate them. And no, “surviving another Teams meeting that should’ve been an email” doesn’t count.
✅ Encourage Growth. The most resilient people—Oprah, Nelson Mandela, Malala—turned hardship into strength. Your toughest moments might be shaping you into a better leader.
The Bigger Picture
Olivia Campbell’s mother, who lost her daughter in the Manchester bombing, once said:
“Don’t let this beat any of us. Don’t let my daughter be a victim.”
Her words remind us that even in tragedy, we can choose resilience.
You don’t have to pretend bad things don’t happen. But you do get to decide how you respond. And as a leader, that choice doesn’t just affect you—it impacts everyone around you.
So, are you choosing fear, frustration, and doomscrolling?
Or are you choosing growth, leadership, and the kind of mindset that makes your team want to follow you?
Your call.
Key Insight:
If you want to be a great leader, don’t just react—reframe and get perspective.
Did you like this article? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts! 👇
Acknowledgment: This blog post was written by me: Jo Blakeley. While I used AI assistance (ChatGPT) for refining grammar and presentation, all ideas, insights, and content are my own.