Everyone has been in a room where the energy instantly changes one way or the other because of one person.

I was working with an executive team, and the energy in the room was elite. People were collaborating, ideas were flowing, and everyone was locked in.

Then the CEO walked in.

Everything changed. He was negative and overbearing, and within minutes, the whole room shut down. The positive energy that had been in the room evaporated.

I've never forgotten it because it was such a vivid picture of something I highlighted in my book Building the Best. Kim Cameron, associate dean at the Ross School of Business at Michigan, calls it the heliotropic effect. Here's the idea.

People work the same way.

That CEO wasn't just having a bad day. He was slowly depleting everyone around him without even realizing it.

Here's the hard truth. You are either lighting up the room or darkening it. You are either pulling people toward you or pushing them away. Every single day. In every room you walk into.

The good news is that, unlike the plant, you get to choose whether you are a light or a darkness in the world. You get to choose whether you are a beacon of positivity or negativity. You get to choose whether you focus on the gains or the gaps.

What is it going to be today?

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.