Adapt Your Attitude

All of us, at some point in our lives, have probably been told that we need an attitude adjustment. Whether this feedback was given to you as an adolescent or more recently in the workplace, we’ve all had to face the reality that our mental outlook isn’t always healthy or helpful. Today I’m going to talk about why the ability to alter your mindset is one of the most powerful tools in your professional toolbox.

Adaptability as a core competency. In a previous post, I discussed just how essential adaptability is to being an effective and successful leader. It is considered a core competency and will guide your success or lack thereof as a leader. A leadership position inevitably comes with endless unknowns, so you must be ready for anything.

Adaptability is necessary when faced with change, which can present itself as anything from huge industry shifts to changes in the day’s schedule. Constantly meeting these changes with resistance, denial, or negativity will make others not want to work with you. In fact, people might even avoid working with you altogether and view you as an obstacle to success. No one wants to be seen as that person.

Our attitudes do not control us. Over the course of my decades-long career in the government and business worlds, I’ve learned that change is the one constant in life, and we have next to no control over it. When changes do come up, our responsibility is not to reverse the change or try to manipulate the actions of others. And thank goodness because most of the time neither of those things are in the realm of possibility.

The only thing we are responsible for is the way that we respond in the event of the unexpected (or even the somewhat expected). We can either choose to be constructive or counterproductive. But at the end of the day, it’s important to recognize that our responses, a huge part of which is our attitude, are the only thing that we have total control over.

Choosing your attitude. No outside force “makes” you have the subsequent reaction. Your emotions fall under your jurisdiction. When people say, “this situation is making me such and such a way,” they aren’t fully owning their behavior. The fact of the matter is that the situation simply exists, but you and you alone are choosing how you respond to it.

Don’t get me wrong. You’re human, and I’m not suggesting that you can completely avoid less-than-ideal attitudes or emotions altogether. What I’m saying is that when you feel those negative outlooks coming on, you must be ready and willing to flip the script and alter your thought patterns. This takes daily practice to become a habit, but consciously choosing a better attitude means deciding that your growth, impact, and success are well worth the effort it takes to adapt gracefully.

Start small. Now that you know why it’s imperative to be able to adjust your perspective, all that’s left to do is practice. Being able to adapt your attitude in the moment is a skill that must be honed over time. It’s something that will need attention daily. If it seems like a daunting task right now, just start small. You can even begin practicing in situations outside of the workplace.

For example, maybe you regularly get annoyed at the traffic on your commute to or from work. Next time these negative feelings start to come up while you’re on the road, pause and breathe. Try to shift your perspective to see the upside. Perhaps this is the perfect time to finish that audiobook or podcast. Or consider it an opportunity to catch up with a family member over the phone (hands-free, of course).

All it takes is willingness and practice. By being willing to adjust your attitude with the little things in life, you’re opening the door to being able to course correct when bigger changes come to light. Even in the worst-case scenarios, we always have the option to choose our attitude and how we respond to a problem. If you’re willing and able to do so consistently, you will reap the benefits tenfold.