Accentuate the positive.

Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.
--Robert Lewis Stevenson

It took every bit of effort that Bob possessed to keep from slamming the phone on the cradle at the end of the conversation. Once again, his efforts to launch a new initiative to foster interagency cooperation had been subverted by politicians more concerned with their own futures than the good of the agency. This latest turn of events was a major setback. It was going to take a lot of effort and energy to get things back on track. Bob was fuming over the situation and developing his strategy to deal with it when his assistant reminded him of the awards ceremony he was scheduled to host in 5 minutes. He quickly put on his "game face" smile, thanked his assistant, and left his office for the ceremony. As he walked to the conference room, he warmly greeted those he met in the hallway and the elevator.

This scenario illustrates a process that successful law enforcement leaders undergo countless times each day. Bob has discovered a cornerstone of effective leadership best summarized by Mike Mason, an executive assistant director of the FBI, who said, "As a leader, you are not allowed to have bad days." Many leaders feel the harsh reality that, frequently, bad days are the only days they have. Therefore, a key to successful leadership is learning how to quickly refocus your emotions and not share with those you lead the fact that you are having a bad day. We all have had curmudgeonly bosses who openly showed their feelings. All too often, the message they tried to deliver was derailed by the grimace they wore, reflecting a negative experience from earlier in the day. Impactful leaders have mastered the art of projecting the positive in not only what they say but how they say it. Positive delivery of a message includes body language and facial expressions. Just as fear and pessimism are contagious, so are courage and optimism. Modeling is a significant component of leadership, and organizations tend to reflect the leadership style of their bosses. People often are acutely aware of the style and tenor projected by the leadership of an entity after only a few minutes with the frontline employees. What message are you routinely sending?

There are times when it is appropriate, even necessary, for a leader to display more intense emotions. Leaders are not automatons, and they need to be able to share an appropriate range of emotions with others. As with many other aspects in life, timing and place are crucial. An operative rule for effective leaders should be to routinely project the positive.

In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell espouses the law of sacrifice. Maxwell maintains that "the law of sacrifice says you have to give up to go up." One of the things successful leaders must sacrifice is the right to have a bad day. Now, put a smile on your face and lead your agency to excellence.

Jeffrey Lindsey, special agent instructor and program manager in the Leadership Development Institute at the FBI Academy, prepared Leadership Spotlight.