Positive affirmations for leaders: Woo or worthwhile?

I used to think positive affirmations were a bit silly.

Quotes like “I am enough” and “abundance flows through me” feel vague, like the kind of thing you’d see printed on a cheap scented candle.

But I’ve been doing daily positive affirmations for a few years now, and I’ve changed my mind.

Not because I’ve become a convert to magical thinking, but because they’ve worked for me, and helped me become a better manager.

My motivation for trying positive affirmations

It wasn’t something I came to easily. I was sceptical.

But I figured that the cost of trying out positive affirmations was so low, that there was no harm in giving them a go for a while.

My main motivation for trying them? Self-criticism.

I suffer with this, and I know lots of other people that do too.

A little voice in my own head that says “why aren’t you better at X, Y or Z?” or “you should have been able to get more done today”.

There’s a place for honestly assessing your weaknesses and times your own performance wasn’t up to scratch. This can give you the opportunity to address things that might be holding you back.

But a lot of the time, negative self-talk doesn’t help at all. It’s not even accurately assessing your shortcomings. The voice is delving into fears and insecurities rather than reality.

And worse than that, self-criticism often doesn’t help you with the thing you’re being self-critical about! Instead of spurring you on, it can lead to catastrophising, freezing you in place and making you feel pessimistic.

This is the pattern I wanted to change. And that’s why I ended up giving positive affirmations a go.

I wanted something to help break my patterns of self-criticism, and present an alternative, positive view of things.

How I approach positive affirmations

I started by saving a few affirmations I liked to my phone. Later, I upgraded to an app, which serves up random ones each day. Some are hard for me to relate to, but I just keep flicking through until I find something I like.

When one resonates, I pause, read it a few times (ideally out loud) and sit with it for a minute or two.

It’s a small thing. But it breaks the pattern.

It interrupts that voice that says, “This is going to go badly,” or “You’re dropping the ball.”

And it replaces it with:

• “Actually, things aren’t that bad.”
• “You’ve got a lot to be grateful for.”
• “You’re doing okay.”

They’re not a silver bullet, but they help.

I’ve noticed that the effects can be short-lived. So I try to jump on the positive feelings, and move on straightaway to a ‘quick win’ (a short, easy task I can do it right now). The sense of action that comes from getting something done pairs nicely with the positive shift in mindset, and sets me up well for the rest of the day.

I aim to spend about a minute or two per day on positive affirmations, usually as part of my daily review. It’s an easy habit that has stuck for me, and I’ve been doing them consistently for a few years now.

How positive affirmations helped me as a manager

As a manager, your internal mindset matters a lot.

You deal with things that a lot of people don’t appreciate:

• Feeling like you don’t have the answers
• Worrying if people respect you
• Wondering if you’re even doing a good job

You don’t always get a lot of encouragement or feedback – you’re normally the one expected to give it.

You’re supposed to stay calm, clear, and confident – even when you’re not feeling any of those things.

Positive affirmations help a lot to remind me that I was doing a pretty decent job, even when it was far from perfect. They are my daily moment to reset and look at things in the positive frame.

And that in turn helped me to get unstuck and get on with doing the things I need to.

Two approaches to positive affirmations

Recently I’ve been using The 6-Minute Diary, which is a useful tool for gratitude and positive affirmations. The diary includes a bunch of interesting info on the science, evidence and approaches related to positive thinking.

The diary explains two approaches to positive affirmations:

1. The Jackhammer

Pick one affirmation that matters deeply to you and repeat it daily.
You “hammer” it into your subconscious through repetition.

2. The Hummingbird

Pick affirmations based on how you feel that day.
You “hover” and choose what fits the moment.

I’m a Hummingbird. But both can work well. It just depends on what feels right for you.

How to frame affirmations so they work

Affirmations only work if they feel believable.

Here’s a visual from The 6-Minute Diary that helps explain it:

What works:

• Affirmations on the edge of your current reality
• “I’m learning to…” or “I’m becoming someone who…”
• Framed positively, in the present tense
• Emotionally resonant – something you feel, not just want

What doesn’t work:

• Statements you don’t believe at all (your brain will reject them)
• Vague goals with no emotional pull
• Negatives like “I won’t mess up this time”

Common fears leaders face, and affirmations that help

You can group most leadership doubts and fears into four buckets. Here they are with examples of affirmations that respond to each:

Final thought

Affirmations won’t change your life overnight. But they might help you show up 1% better. And over time, that’s enough to make a big difference.

So don’t overthink it. Pick one. Say it out loud.

And let it shift you into a more positive frame.

Because in leadership, your mindset sets the tone – for you, and your team.

Want to give it a go?

We’ve put together a free list of positive affirmations for leaders – all grounded, practical, and tailored to the real fears and doubts that managers face.

👉 Download it here and try one per day, that’s it all it takes.