Blue Zones are places where people live the longest and have the greatest percentage of those who live past 100. Not only live, but live vibrant, productive lives. For those of us who want our agencies to thrive well past the 100-year mark, we need to create a community where the individuals have a great sense of purpose and a positive outlook.
The sense of purpose is both a bottom-up and a top-down phenomenon. When leaders know where they are going and how they plan to get there, they can approach every day with a great sense of purpose. This is also required if you expect your staff to have a great sense of purpose equally. Have we helped them know where they are going and how they will get there? A great sense of purpose drives overall performance.
The positive outlook starts at the top. If the leadership stays positive, even through the rough patches, this creates a positive atmosphere and sets an excellent example for the entire entity. We can support positive reactions and, more importantly, not support negative reactions.