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Gone are the days of leadership when leaders would never show an ounce of weakness. Vulnerability used to be seen as a flaw, .but it can actually be a superpower in the toolbox of anyone on their own hero journey.

In this conversation, Colonel J. Scot Heathman, a retired Air Mobility Wing Commander, shares his love of Star Wars, skills he learned and developed in the Air Force, and the power of spreading positivity in leadership.

Whether it’s getting involved in the community or serving his country, Scot has always loved doing something bigger than himself. Joining the Air Force was a way for him to accomplish his dream while serving at the same time. Scot is now getting into coaching and consulting, with the mission to help elevate others.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

• How Star Wars was based on the hero’s journey
• The power of having a vision
• Being vulnerable enough to talk out loud as a leader
• How to spread a higher level of positivity in your team
• The power of servant leadership in the military
• Working with different generations

Episode Highlights:

[05:35] How to Stay Optimistic as a Leader

It's important for a leader to have that vision that they can also give to their team to make sure everyone is headed in the same direction. Having that vision fuels your optimism, which also fuels how you lead the team.

Surround yourself with people who have a high level of optimism and stay away from those who are fond of using the victim card.

[16:47] How to Spread Positivity in Leadership

As a leader, be vulnerable enough to talk out loud to your team about some things in your weekly meetings. Tell them not to take things personally if, at times, you just don’t feel at your 100% best. That little dialogue with them wipes out any perception, judgment, or defensiveness.

Understand the psychology of positivity in the workplace because it leads to a higher level of performance as well as better relationships.

Take subtle risks to show somebody or a team that there is some good out there. Kindness on display is not a bad thing.

There are a lot of crises happening right now and people need a bit of level-headedness. Even a little pick-me-up or telling them you got their back is so subtle. That level of optimism could change the nature of a crisis and how you work through it.

Be able to see your team from 20,000 feet up to know what's going on in your organization. See how you can connect people with each other and foster diversity in thinking.

At the same time, don’t just stay at the 20,000-foot perspective.  Go down and get the frontline perspective and see it from there to get a richer picture. That probably means more listening and watching than talking.

[50:38] Working with Different Generations

If you have Gen Z members in your team and they’re not used to struggles, give them challenging experiences in a safe environment. Let them work through things on their own. You have to zoom in and out to see how beautiful things are at all levels.

Resources Mentioned:

Website: www.elevating-others.com

Instagram: @jscottheathman