Optimism is not a squishy, overly idealist characteristic. Optimism is actually a hard-core discipline. The Colonel said, “You’ve got to be an optimist, kiddo. When your team can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, you have to be able to show it to them and convince them it’s not a train.” An optimist sees negative situations as temporary and surmountable while seeing positive situations as permanent and sustainable.
I love what Henry David Thoreau said in his book Walden: “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” That should be the vision statement of an optimist!
That doesn’t mean nothing bad ever happens to optimists or they never encounter hardship. The reality is that no vision or plan happens without obstacles and setbacks. Optimism, though, allows a leader to stay committed to that vision when facing adversity. It requires believing in both your vision and your team enough to know they can rise above the obstacles and still succeed. An optimistic leader can help boost employee morale, enhance productivity, and overcome stumbles just by believing in a successful outcome.
When you believe there is always a route to eventual success, it eliminates the fear of failure and challenges your team to find that route, even if it may end up looking different than originally expected.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.