10 Brain-backed Ways To Be a Positively Infectious Leader Daily

Listen to the full podcast episode to learn about the science-backed practice that has not only changed my life but also the lives of countless people over the last two decades. This is something you can’t ignore if you want to achieve that great goal you identified for this year and write your new future.

If you think leadership is about the title on your résumé, the results you deliver, or the strategies you execute, that’s how most of us were taught to measure it. For years, leadership has been measured by output and performance.

However, the truth is that people often don’t follow the title. They follow the energy. 

In this episode, I’m sharing 10 brain-backed ways to practice positive leadership daily. These are simple, science-supported actions that not only raise your own energy but also rewire your brain for joy, resilience, and connection. Whether you’re leading a team, a business, or your family, these habits can transform how others experience you, and how you experience yourself.

Why Positive Leadership Is Contagious

Most of us have worked with a leader who left us feeling drained and another who left us feeling inspired. Their résumé wasn’t the difference; it was in their energy. Positive leadership is contagious because humans are wired to mirror the emotions and nervous systems of those around us. 

Walk into a room stressed and anxious, and you’ll likely see the tension spread. Walk in grounded and optimistic, and you’ll see people relax, open up, and contribute more freely.

This is why leadership presence is more than a soft skill. It’s the foundation of influence. The way you show up sets the tone for every conversation, meeting, and interaction.

When you choose to embody gratitude, kindness, and calm, you’re not just improving your own state of mind. You’re literally signaling to everyone around you that it’s safe to engage, collaborate, and grow. 

Two Leaders, Two Different Energies

We’ve all experienced both kinds of leaders. One walks into a room and, without saying a word, the air feels heavier. Their presentation may be flawless and their credentials impressive, but the energy they carry creates tension. People withdraw, conversations stall, and creativity shrinks. Their skills aren’t lacking, but their presence sends signals of stress that everyone else unconsciously mirrors.

Then there’s the other kind of leader. Maybe their résumé isn’t packed with accolades, but when they enter the room, people lean in. Their calm steadiness, genuine connection, or simple enthusiasm shifts the atmosphere. Instead of feeling guarded, people feel open. Instead of holding back, they contribute more. These leaders don’t inspire because of what’s written on paper; they inspire because of how it feels to be around them.

The contrast between the two isn’t about intelligence, experience, or charisma—it’s about the invisible energy they transmit. And that energy is more than a personality trait or a leadership style. It’s biological.

The Science Behind Positive Leadership

What might sound like feel-good advice is rooted in neuroscience and biology. 

Research shows that practices like gratitude, laughter, and mindful presence release powerful neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, that lift mood and regulate stress. Smiles are “catching” because of mirror neurons in the brain. Acts of kindness light up the reward centers as if you’d just enjoyed a piece of chocolate. Even a 20-second hug lowers cortisol and helps your heartbeats sync.

In other words, positive leadership is not about ignoring reality or pretending everything is fine. It’s about intentionally choosing words, actions, and habits that create resilience—for yourself and for others. 

Leaders who practice these habits build trust faster, inspire loyalty, and help teams perform at higher levels, not because they control harder, but because they connect deeper.

10 Daily Practices for Positive Leadership

Ten simple, science-backed practices can shift your energy and strengthen your leadership presence. Things as small as jotting down three gratitudes or offering a smile, even on the days you don’t feel like it, rewire your brain for more joy, resilience, and connection. 

The words you choose, the way you listen, and the little acts of kindness you offer aren’t just polite gestures; they spark real physiological changes in both you and the people around you.

Leadership also shows up in the moments that often go unnoticed: the shared laughter that lightens a room, the decision to be fully present instead of distracted, or the reassurance that comes from a simple handshake or hug. Celebrating small wins builds momentum, while spreading positive gossip creates a culture of trust.

Each of these practices is free, fast, and accessible, but together they have the power to transform not just how you feel, but how people experience you as a leader.

The Ripple Effect Beyond Work

The impact of positive leadership doesn’t stop at the office door. These practices permeate every aspect of your life, your family, friendships, community, and even those fleeting encounters with strangers. A moment of presence with your child after school can calm their nerves in ways no lecture ever could. A smile to a barista or a kind word to a neighbor can set off a ripple effect that continues long after you’ve moved on.

What you choose to practice daily becomes the environment and culture you build. At home, it might look like celebrating the small wins of your kids to build their confidence. In your community, it could be as simple as listening deeply to someone who rarely feels heard. Even in brief interactions, such as holding a door or offering encouragement, your energy leaves a lasting impression. 

That’s the beauty of these practices: they are both deeply personal and profoundly communal. When you shift your presence, you don’t just change your day; you change the environment for everyone who crosses your path.

Bottom line: who you are being while you lead speaks louder than any words, strategies, or résumés. Who you’re being while you do what you do —  is your greatest leadership tool.

 In this episode, I share:

• Why positive leadership is grounded in neuroscience, not just mindset.
• How to rewire your brain for joy, resilience, and better connection.
• Ten practical daily practices to raise your energy and be a positively infectious leader.

Resources and related episodes:

• Tune in to the previous episode, The Most Underrated Leadership Tool
• Listen to Using Equal Energy Exchange (E3) to Troubleshoot Work Irritations
• If you’d like to be notified of when new podcast episodes are released, you can do so here: Playing Full Out
• Learn more about the Inside Out Method
• Connect with Rita on LinkedIn

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts for more tips, tools, and inspiration to lead the optimal vision of your life, love, and leadership. Remember, a half version of you is not enough. The world needs the fullest version of you at play.

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About Rita Hyland

With over 20 years of experience as an executive and leadership coach, Rita helps leaders — emerging and established — excel in corporate and entrepreneurial environments.

Rita believes if leaders were more clear about how transformation really works and more intentional about creating what they want, their impact, success, and influence in the world would be unstoppable.

Through her coaching programs, private coaching, and masterminds, Rita shows leaders how to win consistently and create the impact and legacy they desire.

Central to Rita’s work is the understanding that you will never outperform your current programming, no matter how strong your willpower.

When you learn to use Rita’s proprietary Inside Out Method, a technology that uses the best of neuroscience and transformational psychology to hit the brain’s buttons for change, YOU become both the solution and the strategy.

Her mission is to end talented, hard-working, and self-aware leaders spending another day stuck in self-doubt or confusion and not contributing their brilliant work and talent the world so desperately needs.