If you’re looking for powerful fuel for your leadership, look at optimism.
Winston Churchill used to say “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Maybe that’s why optimistic leaders are usually more successful than pessimists.
When you’re a pessimist, everything is about failure, anxiety, and problems. Bu when you’re optimistic you can be someone who continually improves and moves forward.
Even if you’re not among the lucky people for whom optimism comes naturally, you’ll discover it’s is an attitude that can be learned and practiced. Here are some strategies to consider to foster optimism in yourself and those around you:
1. Go for the gold. Celebrate your strengths and talent instead of concentrating on your weaknesses. Focus on what you do well and what you are good at. Don’t be down on yourself for everything you aren’t; instead, start loving yourself for everything you already are.
2. Get out of your comfort zone. Cultivate unpremeditated and unrehearsed actions, and encourage yourself to do things that are impulsive and impromptu. Especially if you are a creature of habit, push yourself to the edge of your comfort zone. Uncalculated action builds your optimistic muscle—when you stop doing what you have always done, you get new results.
3. Look for the proverbial silver lining. Learn to rethink every challenge and every adversity and always look for the gift. Try to look at situations that trigger your negativity as opportunities to learn. Teach yourself whatever discipline it takes to redirect your reaction into positivity.
4. Avoid negativity altogether. That means doing what you can to avoid negative environments, people, and circumstances. It won’t be easy, but make a true effort. If you know someone to be a complainer, do everything you can to keep your distance.
5. Nurture your well-being. Do what you can to surround yourself with positive messaging on a daily basis. Watch inspirational videos, read motivational blogs, biographies—whatever it is that inspires you and nurtures you.
6. Visualize the winner within. Every success starts within. If you don’t see yourself as a winner, then you can’t perform as one. The biggest challenge in any situation is to stay positive in a world that is filled with negativity.
7. Focus beyond yourself. If you know you have a tendency to be negative, do what you can to focus on something beyond yourself. Try to step outside of yourself, beyond the circumstances and situation, and past your pessimism.
8. Remember that happier equals healthier. There is evidence that the immune systems of optimistic people are stronger than those of pessimists. Stay positive and you may be able to enjoy better health.
9. Engage in daily positive mantras. If you have a tendency to talk to yourself in a negative way, change it up and give yourself a positive mantra. Try telling yourself, This will go right because I worked hard and this time I will succeed. Simple positive affirmations can have a positive effect on your mindset.
10. Be in control of what you can control. When faced with challenges, failures, adversity, recognize what you can change and proactively try to find ways to do something about it. Control the things you can control. Incredible things happen when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.
Lead from within: Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of true progress and great leadership.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
- A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
- How to Succeed as A New Leader
- 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
- 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
- The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
- The Deception Trap of Leadership
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.
Steffanie
23. Jun, 2016
Being optimistic, no matter the circumstances, and at the same time thinking on multiple levels, keeping distance from negativity and enjoying life without feeling guilty, focusing on what matters in the moment has changed my life dramatically. Thank you so much for your inspiration!
Christopher
26. Jun, 2016
Absolutely love this well-written self-help mastery article. Thank YOU!!!!
Prasanna
26. Jun, 2016
Very very good motivations point’s today.
Ronquavias D Banks
27. Jun, 2016
This is so true! Thank God I have always been this way but I have also fallen victim to sometimes letting negative people spoil my mood. Staying clear and speaking affirmative quotes helped me to overcome! Thanks for sharing!
self development
06. Nov, 2016
I think it is important to understand that even if you don’t believe that optimism influences the events it still much more fun to leave as an optimistic person
mahadeo
25. Feb, 2017
Really meaningful
mahadeo
25. Feb, 2017
Really meaningful ideas.
Suresh Chamoli
03. Sep, 2017
Amazing collection of natural management thoughts.. Everything has touched in simple and easy guiding manner..
Thanks Please keep it up.
Suresh Chamoli
03. Sep, 2017
It is well organised systematic guiding approach towards managerial aspects.. Thanks for keeping it up such type of motivational and inspirational article…
Thanks