
Workshop 3 Part 1: Contagious Resilient Leadership Impact
Understanding the Broaden and Build Framework
The program's foundation is centred around evidence-based research to help leaders manage the positive-to-negative emotion ratio to produce a contagious innovative mindset in followers based on the broaden and build theory (Fredrickson, 2001). The approach is based on two core principles:
● Positivity opens our hearts and our minds, making us more receptive and more creative; and
● Positivity transforms us, allowing us to discover and build new skills, ties, knowledge, and ways of being. (See figure 1)
Fredrickson's research determined that a higher level of positive emotions was required to reach the broaden and build stage. However, it also indicated that negativity is necessary to maintain reality as hardships happen. Humans feel the impacts of these events; how they rebound from these hardships influences their success.
Figure 1

Self Assesment
Barbara Fredrickson has a website with a self-test that you can take daily to measure your positivity ratio. Click below to see the test:
Practice:
Take notice of the types of activities in your daily routine that may influence your positivity scores. Note what influences your day positively and negatively. You can use the exercises in Part 2 to strengthen your positive emotions and in Part 3 to reduce the negative impact of your emotions.