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I found myself with an interesting group of business people last week. Each was an optimist (by their reckoning). Each had ‘the glass is half full’ mentality, each had a sense of direction and of conviction. And as I drove home after the meeting I thought to myself that although we face economic turbulence the like of which we've never seen, and there's plenty to be gloomy about, each person that day thought that there arethings to be optimistic about - opportunities and such. But in reality it is not the relevant opportunity that I am concerned with here, but the nature of optimism in management.
I would contend that optimists are better equipped to manage difficulty: they have a capacity (or naivety) to take on new and challenging tasks, extend their remit, and learn new things. But this gusto must be tempered by realism and substance. In order to lead into new uncharted territories you need the courage of your convictions and a good dose of collateral evidence/research. Gen Colin Powell once said: ‘Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.’ And I do agree. But there are many downsides to being an eternal optimist. You can overstretch yourself, get carried away with a sense of expectation that never actually comes, and suffer disappointment (which a pessimist will never have to endure). A lot of pessimists take the view, 'I'll fear the worst and then I'm never going to be disappointed'. But remember you do get better results from collaboration, enthusiasm, optimism and conviction. Or am I being optimistic? |
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