TL;DR: a quick summary for busy readers
Work gets rubbish sometimes. Don’t fake-smile your way through it. Instead, lead with resilient positivity: acknowledge the challenge, focus on what you can control, and show your team a way forward.
Key takeaways:
Be honest about reality
Calm fears with facts
Reframe setbacks as lessons
Celebrate small wins
Model resilience
Keep the long-term vision in sight
Resilient positivity = honesty + hope. It steadies you, and it steadies your team. Read on for more.
Keeping positive when things are rubbish at work
Sometimes work is brilliant. Other times… It’s rubbish.
A contract falls through at the last minute
Market changes wipe out months of planning
A senior hire doesn’t work out
Or sometimes it’s just the relentless grind of too much to do and not enough resources to do it
Staying positive in these moments isn’t easy. But as a leader, how you show up shapes how others respond. This blog looks at what resilient positivity really means, why it matters, and practical ways to put it into action when times are tough.
Toxic positivity vs Resilient positivity
It’s important to get this right.
Toxic positivity is the “keep smiling, everything’s fine” approach. It denies reality, dismisses concerns, and often makes morale worse.
Resilient positivity acknowledges the difficulty, but holds on to perspective, hope and solutions. It sounds like: “Yes, this is tough. Let’s work out how we can tackle it together.”
Brené Brown reminds us that vulnerability isn’t weakness, but the courage to show up when there are no guarantees. Leaders who admit “I don’t have all the answers, but I’m here with you” often build more trust than those pretending to be bulletproof. Vulnerability is the birthplace of trust, creativity and resilience — exactly what’s needed when things feel rubbish.
Why positivity matters in hard times
Mood spreads: Psychologists call it emotional contagion. Your outlook ripples across your team
Positive emotions broaden thinking: Barbara Fredrickson’s “Broaden and Build” theory shows positivity widens our capacity for creativity and problem-solving, while negativity narrows it down to fight-or-flight
Engagement drives performance: Gallup research shows managers account for around 70% of the variance in team engagement, which directly affects retention and results
Your attitude isn’t just about “keeping spirits up”. It directly influences performance.
Real-world examples of resilient positivity
AirBNB during Covid-19: CEO Brian Chesky had to lay off a quarter of the workforce. He explained the what, the why and the now what with clarity and empathy - offering severance, healthcare and job support. He didn’t pretend things were fine, but communicated with compassion and detail
Judd Antin on authentic clarity: A former AirBNB leader later wrote that effective leadership in crisis comes from “authentic clarity, not false certainty”. Transparency, empathy and honesty matter more than spin
Starbucks cultural crisis: In 2018, after a racial bias incident, CEO Kevin Johnson apologised personally, shut 8,000 stores for bias training, and worked with experts to rebuild trust. He didn’t hide - he took responsibility and acted boldly
These examples show that people respect leaders who acknowledge difficulty honestly and take meaningful action.
Seven practical strategies for staying positive
Name the reality clearly
Don’t sugar-coat. Saying “this is challenging” shows respect and builds trustSeparate facts from fears
Facts can be managed. Fears need to be acknowledged and put in perspective
Reframe the narrativeLanguage matters. Swap “this is a disaster” for “this is a setback — what can we learn?”
Control the controllables
Help people focus on what they can do, rather than drowning in what they can’t influence
Look for small wins
Celebrate small victories to signal progress and build momentumModel resilient habits
Show calm, take breaks, share how you manage stress. Recovery is resilience in actionStay future-focused
Ask “what will this look like in six months?” and remind people of the bigger vision
Pitfalls to avoid
Over-cheerleading: Don’t plaster on fake smiles
Negativity bias: Don’t focus only on problems
Inconsistency: People can cope with bad news, but not unpredictable leadership
Simple tools to try
3 wins check-in: At the end of the week, ask everyone to name three wins
Circle of control: List “what we can control” and “what we can’t” — focus on the first
Future headlines: Ask “if a paper wrote about how we overcame this, what would the headline be?”
Humour moments: Appropriate humour relieves stress and restores perspective
Final reflection
When things are rubbish at work, your team is watching how you show up. Do they see denial? Panic? Or a leader who faces reality, admits uncertainty, but still offers hope and direction?
That’s Brené Brown’s definition of courageous leadership: choosing honesty and empathy over bravado. And it’s the kind of positivity that sustains people through tough times. Not only will your team feel more motivated, you’ll feel calmer too - because real leadership steadies everyone.
If this resonated, you’ll find more tools and strategies in my book, online course and coaching programmes. Visit waterfallhill.co.uk to explore how I can support you and your leadership team.
