Think positive. Seems simple enough. Best-selling author and speaker Jon Gordon champions the power of positive thinking in his numerous books and leadership training programs. But he wants to be clear; he’s not talking about seeing the world through rose-colored glasses and ignoring reality. He’s referring to the power every individual has to choose resilience and faith in the face of challenges in order to create the life they want.

Jon considers himself a naturally negative person, so he’s worked diligently throughout his life to choose positivity and see the potential in each day. Living out the truths he’s teaching is what makes his message so powerful. He trains leaders to work from the roots of their organizations upward, enjoying the fruits of their labor later. In this way, strong leaders seek to serve their employees and clients by choosing to be a source of love rather than fear. Change can trigger a fear response, which might lead to making excuses or jumping ship when things get hard. But Jon teaches that the way leaders view change determines their ability to succeed or fail. Embracing the highs and lows of life and business equally leads to deeper levels of integrity that allow a company to flourish when others fail.