Many work environments place a premium on leaders with critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. However, that premium often places too much emphasis on being critical and dealing with problems. In such workplaces, leaders can become downers, always harping on what’s wrong and what needs to be fixed. Such leaders often resort to stoking people’s fears to motivate them to get things done. This fear-stoking is exemplified by one of the most overused phrases in the history of business: “What keeps me awake at night is….” Think about it. When leaders talk about (or more often brag about) what keeps them awake at night, aren’t they really just showcasing their fears and anxieties? It’s as if some leaders believe that the only way they’ll get any rest is to make the entire workforce share in their fears. Unless people are as afraid as they are, the leaders think that no one will be motivated enough to address whatever is causing them to lose sleep. But putting people on the 24-hour fear cycle isn’t motivating at all—insomnia shouldn’t be a leadership badge of honor. Leaders would be better served to talk about what gets them up in the morning instead of what keeps them awake at night. Opportunity attracts and excites employees more than problems do. People want to follow leaders who have such confidence in them and the opportunities that the future holds. People want to follow leaders who sleep soundly at night.