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How to Spot a Negative Nancy

We all know someone that will suck the wind right out of our
sails…even on the perfect day for sailing! If you don’t know someone like this, go look in the mirror, it may be you!  Negative Nancy’s show up everywhere we go. Here are a few scenarios in How to Spot a Negative Nancy:

In General- Negative Nancy always brings up the one negative thing when their were a dozen positive things. Nancy’s half empty glass will usually dump itself out on you and leave the whole party wet (Leadership Ain’t Always Sexy)!

In Social MediaNegative Nancy isn’t a contributor to others.  Instead, Nancy’s words are like the scratch on your favorite record, killing that sweet music!

In LeadershipNegative Nancy brings distraction when vision is what is truly needed. Nancy is always focused on the wrong things and rarely focused on the right things. Leadership Ain’t A Title!

In Relationships- Negative Nancy typically bad mouths other people or gripes about things that are annoying. The basis of Nancy’s relationships is simply the critique of others. This is the mask Nancy wears.

InternallyNegative Nancy’s actions are largely rooted in personal insecurities. Being the “buzz kill” is Nancy’s way of looking outward to fill the inner void that is an eventual black hole.

Negative Nancy always brings negative feedback and sometimes brings positive, vision-oriented feedback. The one thing you can depend on from Nancy is a consistent negative drain.

In responseSeriously, don’t be a Negative Nancy! The power of positive affirmation can’t be overlooked!  Rewarding desired behaviors causes others to want to reproduce that same behavior. Focusing strictly on the negatives will do nothing for encouraging desired outcomes for those in your circle of influence.  Don’t forget The Power of the A-Word.

Do you know a Negative Nancy? How do you deal with this type of person? Do you ever find yourself caught up in the negative? Why do you think you have this tendency? Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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Chad Missildine is an executive coach, consultant and speaker serving business, government and non-profit leaders. Chad was a leader and pastor at Life.Church for 11+ years, coaching and training hundreds of Life.Church pastors and business leaders at 33+ locations. He served on the Life.Church Central leadership team, helping to shape culture and stewardship as the Central Director of Generosity. Chad also provided coaching and consulting for many churches and non-profits from around the globe. He manages a multi-million dollar real estate company and mentors entrepreneurs. You can connect with Chad at chadmissildine.com.