Manila, 26 July 2023 — Creating positivity is a task for every leader.

Story

It happened earlier this month. After leading his country as prime minister for a record period of 13 years, Mark Rutte dissolved parliament and announced that he would leave politics when a new government was formed after elections. A remarkable leader, he became known in Europe for his relentlessly cheerful and unflappable behavior. In a country known for its multitude of critically-minded people claiming to know things best, he mastered the art of listening to public opinion. He stood out, and not only because of his height.

In his youth, after growing up with an ambition to become a concert pianist, he chose to study history instead and then started his career in human resources and politics. While serving as prime minister, he continued teaching social studies in a local high school once a week. Known for cycling to work while eating an apple, the photo shows him smiling on the way to the parliamentary debate on the unforeseen ending of his fourth coalition government. Even more expected was his announcement to leave politics after the upcoming elections. As The Economist wrote, “There he was again, friendly, imperturbable and in command, even as he announced the end of his political career.”

What can we learn from his performance as a leader in government? I would suggest two positives and one concern. First, his exceptional insight into strategy and tactics for making positive changes happen in a hyper-competitive (critical) environment with 20 political parties incessantly clamoring to know everything best. Second, his exceptional communication skills, gravitas, and command of issues in a wide range of portfolios, always well prepared, and never hesitating to say when he doesn’t have an answer yet. On the other hand, the concern I see is about the risk of eroding public trust by appearing to run the government as a business, prioritizing efficiency over inspiring a shared vision. 

Challenge  

And what can we as leaders learn from Mr. Rutte’s leadership style? Three things, in my view, and the first won’t come as a surprise to you: Positivity! That means showing up with a positive attitude no matter how difficult the challenges are. Living and working with a high positivity ratio. Being clear about our purpose and our strengths, and using them to the best of our ability, every day and week. “Life gives us negativity on its own,” wrote Barbara Frederickson, a psychologist and researcher. This is evident in the Dutch and many other parliaments around the world. “It’s our job [as leaders] to create positivity,” she continued. That is where Mr. Rutte can serve as a role model. And there is more.

The second is Flexibility. The best leaders are good listeners, and The Economist noted that Mr. Rutte is “well versed in the art of listening to other people’s opinions,” adding that he doesn’t believe he knows best. That is rare among politicians, executives, and professionals. When we do show up with such flexibility, we can see our life and work as a journey of learning and unfolding. However, people with narrower worldviews (conventional, modern, and post-modern) than Mr. Rutte’s will often find it hard to embrace flexibility, concerned that they might compromise their values in the process. Yet values are in essence defined as “what we find important” and that can (and should) change over time, especially in our complex and rapidly changing world. 

The third is Collaboration. Mr. Rutte acquired fame for patiently building coalitions in the Dutch fractured political landscape. Leveraging his strength of Positivity, he has continuously searched for areas of consensus, and he managed to work with the political left and right, bringing people together to pass legislation when that often seemed impossible. This was always a process of dynamic adaptation with few certainties, and when his fourth cabinet fell, The Economist noted, “ironically, opposition leaders colleagues reproached Mr Rutte for leaving.” Just imagine what can be achieved when we all become known as builders of coalitions for positive change in our respective workplaces.

Question

As we sum up the valuable lessons offered by Mr. Rutte’s example of leading four consecutive administrations in a country full of political pitfalls, we come face-to-face with the reality that the challenges in our 21st century cannot be solved by the mindsets and solutions developed in the past centuries. Our world needs leaders at all levels who can work together across generations and other divides to develop a set of new solutions for our complex current challenges, doing so with a clear view of the impact of our decisions on the generations to follow.

Positivity, flexibility, and collaboration are more needed now than ever before in human history, starting in each of our lives, our workplaces, and the communities we serve. It’s high time to develop the ‘soft skills’ that are now top-rated by the World Economic Forum as imperatives to solve our global and local challenges. We can use inspiration from leaders like Mr. Rutte who show these skills in their daily workplace behaviors, whether that be in business, politics, government, and non-government and community organizations. Let’s step up and follow their examples in our lives and work. And also deploy these skills in our communications on social media.

Showing up with positivity, flexibility, and collaboration is by no means easy. From Mr. Rutte’s story as a leader, we can see that people with a critical, negative mindset—of which there are many in our lives and workplaces—will always find excuses to mistrust our intentions and actions. One of my executive colleagues once shared with me that leadership is not a popularity contest. At times, it can be a lonely endeavor. That’s why developing a strong foundation for leadership is both hard and necessary work. It requires passion and perseverance, and a strong support network of positively-minded colleagues, mentors, and coaches. My question for you this week is: what new skills do you need to lead forward positively?

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