The Power of Positive Intent!

As many of my co-workers over the years know, “always assume positive intent” has been a mantra of mine in leadership for close to two decades now and I can genuinely say that it has served me well.

But what are the benefits of “assuming positive intent”?

Let’s first consider the impact of assuming negative intent. When we make negative assumptions about intent it is usually to do with our assumptions about another person’s thoughts, ideas and intentions. We assume that they are thinking the worst thoughts, the worst ideas and the worst intentions, mainly due to a lack of trust within that connection or relationship. Sometimes we might take it personally, that they are thinking the worst of us.

These negative assumptions have a really bad habit of using up your thinking time and will play on your mind for hours, maybe even days. We may even loose sleep over it, playing out past and future conversations in our mind.

Our negative assumptions will then impact our feelings and emotions, and as a result will affect our actions and behaviours around this other person. What we say or don’t say and how we say it. What we do or don’t do and how we do it.

We may also feel the need to offload these thoughts and feelings and may burden them onto others. Our emotions will affect the emotions of others and soon we will be fuelling the negativity of those around us, bringing everyone else down as well.

If you don’t know the truth, if you don’t have all the information then there is absolutely no point in filling in the blanks with your own assumptions, imagination, fears or projections. It is much better to just accept that you don’t know rather than carry around inaccurate assumptions that may in turn inform inappropriate actions and behaviours. When you believe people are trying, doing their best or want the best in a situation, you view their resulting behaviour differently and as a result, respond and behave differently yourself.

If you find it difficult to accept not knowing and you tend to look for answers then assuming positive intent will help push you away from making negative assumptions.

Another point I’d like to make, based on my own experience, another person’s behaviour has more to do with their own internal struggles than it ever does with you!! Their lives are busy and complicated too, they really don’t have the time or the headspace to be thinking much about you!

If assuming negative intent is your default, then force your thinking and practice the art of assuming positive intent in order to get a more balanced bigger picture. Assuming positive intent is a cornerstone of resilience and allows you to believe in the possibilities of growth and moving forward. As a leader this will enable you to navigate through tough times and emerge even stronger.

Practicing positive thinking will help shift your perspective which will enhance overall contentment and satisfaction. As you acknowledge and appreciate the good in others it allows for the trust to build within those relationships.

Lastly, your thoughts and assumptions can significantly affect your attitude, influencing how you perceive and react to situations around you. Having a more positive attitude can transform challenges into opportunities and setbacks into learning experiences. By maintaining a positive outlook, you’re open to more balanced perspectives and solutions, making it easier to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances and demands of life.

Zig Ziglar once said “a positive attitude will have positive results because attitudes are contagious”! So go ahead, give it a try, practice the art of assuming positive intent, model it to others and see what happens!