Finding Your Foundation When Everything Feels Unsteady
The Resilience Paradox: Why Optimism Isn’t Optional
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of working with leaders in crisis: resilience isn’t about being tough enough to power through. It’s about being adaptive enough to find solid ground, even when the landscape keeps changing.
A seasoned CEO recently shared something profound: “Optimism is essential for effective leadership. In a moment like this, that’s a tall order; it often requires pulling from the absolute depths of myself. And that’s the job.“
She’s right. Optimism isn’t naive positivity – it’s the deliberate choice to look for possibilities when problems feel overwhelming. It’s embracing what improvisers call “Yes, and” thinking: acknowledging that the negative is true AND that the positive is also true. Your budget challenges are real AND your mission still matters. Your team is struggling AND they’re also showing incredible resilience.
This isn’t about choosing between optimism and realism. It’s about giving yourself permission to see both simultaneously, knowing that your team needs you to model that balanced perspective.
Four Ways to Build Your Sense of Optimism This Month
Here are practical activities to strengthen the foundation on which you stand as a leader:
- Optimism – Your Leadership Advantage – a short exploration of optimism and why it matters so much for leaders today
- The Leader’s Optimism Assessment – a self-assessment to help you examine your practice of optimism
- Guided Reading – select an article and use prompts to support you in making sense of it and taking action on your insights
- Team Exercise: Building Collective Optimism in Uncertain Times – because leaders don’t work alone!
Download the workbook with instructions for each activity.
Ready to Go Deeper?
Building your optimism and resilience isn’t a solo journey. If you’re ready to develop stronger leadership practices for navigating uncertainty, here are two opportunities:
- A complimentary 30-minute strategy call to discuss how these concepts apply to your specific challenges.
- A free group coaching call with other leaders as we explore the theme of optimism and dig into the tools in this month’s toolkit.