As leaders, we have a choice. We can choose to take on a new challenge, all the time masking a deep-seated concern that it might end up being the one obstacle that finally “breaks us” - or we can take on that challenge believing it offers us a rich opportunity to grow and prosper. The choice is always ours, and it’s a choice the teams we manage observe, assimilate, and reflect as they collectively undertake the project with us.   

Why be optimistic? Shouldn’t leaders be pragmatic or stoic even? Shouldn’t business decisions be evaluated seriously and undertaken with caution? For sure they should. But that doesn’t mean you can’t bring positivity to the process and adopt an optimistic approach. 

Perhaps after years in business, you feel a bit jaded because you’ve “seen it all” before, and you eschew challenges because of the inherent risk of failing. Why should you don a pair of rose-colored glasses now?

The simple answer is: because Optimism works! 

I learned a lot about staying positive while dealing with my own personal challenge walking through stage four breast cancer. That optimism helped me through one of the toughest challenges of my life, but I have since learned that a positive attitude also goes a long way in business. 

A positive attitude is one of the most powerful and underutilized “soft skills” available to corporate leaders. It will impact your outcomes and the way others in your company perceive you. In the end, a negative attitude is not cool or buff, but rather a restriction to growth and a drain on your potential to succeed. Break the habit of adopting it and start embracing positivity.

A positive attitude is one of the most powerful and underutilized “soft skills” available to corporate leaders. It will impact your outcomes and the way others in your company perceive you. 

Okay, so it’s true; optimism isn’t a fool-proof business panacea. For sure, on its own, it won’t necessarily guarantee a successful business outcome. But when used to motivate your colleagues to work through a difficult challenge, optimism can be the catalyst that can mean the difference between simply “phoning it in” and a truly career-advancing performance.

When I worked in corporate America, I had the opportunity to work with some of the best and most relevant global firms - alongside a host of bright and talented people. I should have felt on top of the world, and yet, each night, I had to admit to myself I wasn’t feeling fulfilled.

I came to realize that having a successful career wasn’t a free ticket to personal happiness. For me, work failed to provide me with an ultimate purpose. Instead, I experienced consternation and other negative feelings.

Instead of wallowing in my frustration and letting it control my life, I decided to use this pent-up energy to make a positive change. If working in corporate America wasn’t bringing me satisfaction, what would?

Instead of wallowing in my frustration and letting it control my life, I decided to use this pent-up energy to make a positive change. If working in corporate America wasn’t bringing me satisfaction, what would?

It took watching a few of the people I respected step out on their own and become consultants for me to realize I wanted to be my own boss. And not only did I want to be my own boss, but I also want to surround myself with positive energy and positive people, something I wasn’t always able to do within the restraints of a corporate structure.

That was over a decade ago, and since that time, I have learned to embrace positivity and thrive on optimism. How did I do it? It’s all about fostering a new set of habits and catching yourself when you find yourself reverting to all negative ways.

Here are some tips:

Resist any urge to complain when things aren’t perfect:

  • With your team members, recognize what they’re doing well, and praise or thank them for the difference they are making.
  • Listen to their feedback to better understand and learn. Don’t look for reasons to shoot something or someone down. Instead, look for ways to build them up.
  • Be responsible for your choices even if they didn’t get you where you want to be. We will never become the best version of ourselves by living untested.
  • Focus on your goals and achievements, and learn from your setbacks.
  • Get active! Physical activity releases endorphins and makes you feel better about everything.

 When the challenges do come, get serious about overcoming them:

  • Foster a culture where people take action rather than worrying about next moves or just wishing for the problem to go away. Make it happen instead.
  • Redefine accountability for yourself. Accept that you aren’t perfect, but always make doing your best work a directive as you and your team set out to achieve your goals.
  • Surround yourself with people who share a passion for your vision and give them the green light to leverage their talents in making the vision come forward.
  • Don’t dwell on setbacks. Use them as learning moments and continue relentlessly towards your goals.
  • Be sure the team communicates as a full-body regularly and emphasizes the wins.
  • Build upon what’s working. Quickly dismiss and ditch the hiccups. Don’t allow them to temper your objectives.

Being a positive leader can be challenging, especially in a world where there is no shortage of naysayers trying to pull you down. Understand that you have an energy that is just as powerful that can motivate yourself and your team to push themselves to great new heights and wonderful successes.