Author and speaker Jim Clemmer says, “The basic foundation of leading is optimism.”
If you stop to reflect on that statement, it really does make sense. In order to be a leader, you must lead someone somewhere, and optimism is at the heart of forward progress.
Conversely, pessimism is the language of stagnation. It’s hard to get anywhere—let alone lead anyone anywhere—when you’re bogged down by pessimism.
As Clemmer pointed out in a blog post a few months ago, optimistic leaders are four times more effective than those lacking optimism. Read that again. Four times more effective. That’s a big difference!
Clemmer went on to say:
“It’s been said that we can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails. The wallower curses the wind, the follower waits for it to change, and the leader adjusts the sails. Optimism won’t guarantee smooth sailing, but leaders who have developed their optimism skills lead everyone through life’s storms much more successfully.”
How about you, have you embraced the power of optimism? Make a conscious effort this week to approach life and leadership with an optimistic attitude—you and those whom you lead will benefit!
To read the full article by Jim Clemmer, please click here.
