Realistic Optimism

 There are so many things in life in general and in business that go wrong on a daily and/or weekly basis.  We all tend to focus on what is wrong and not what is right.  At the last company that I worked for, the General Manager always did a great job of reeling the leadership team back in during staff meetings when the discussion became too focused on what was wrong.  He would always say," Yeah, but don't lose sight of what we do right".  Sure you can take this thought process too far and not focus on the pursuit of excellence so the focus needs to be on having realistic optimism. 

In the book, Better Under Pressure, realistic optimism is defined as "confidence without self-delusion; the ability to pursue audacious goals while remaining cognizant of challenges."  So how does the realistic optimistic see the world?  They:

1. See the world as it is –don’t hide your head in the sand.
2. Let the world see you for who you are. Don’t feel shame around personal failure and imperfection.
3. Be sensitive to and aware of others.
4. Reject overconfidence.
5. Enjoy self-reflection.
6. Embrace agency – confidence your experiences and outcomes are within your control.

Are these steps realistic?  I am optimistic that they are.