The following is a short book preview contributed by the Ohio State University Leadership Center.

From: Eikenberry, K. (2007). Remarkable leadership: unleashing your leadership potential one skill at a time. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Before any big game, coaches typically give their team a pep talk.

Coaches know from experience that sharing enthusiasm and delivering positive messages prior to the start of a game will help the team perform better. Maybe the other team is bigger, stronger, and faster. The coach may share those facts during practice but would never include them as the focus of the final words to a team. Will a pep talk alone create a win? Probably not, but everything else being equal, it will help.

Think about it this way. The more the expected pep talk provides hope – an opportunity to look at the world from the perspective of success and achievement. Some call this optimism or enthusiasm or a positive mental attitude. Whatever you call it, science increasingly shows it to be a powerful force. Science or not, our experience tells us this attitude is contagious (Eikenberry, 2007, p. 151).

Remarkable Leadership is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center. To borrow this resource or any other resource, please go to the resource search page.

Click here to learn how the Ohio State University Leadership Center is strengthening tomorrow’s leaders today.

The OSU Leadership Center is home to a wealth of resources to help you and the people you work with improve your leadership and interpersonal skills. Please check the materials in our Lending Library (available to you for a small annual fee), Leadership Publications (absolutely free), and links to other leadership-related information.

View Jim Canterucci's Profile      Subscribe via RSS