The Grinch Who Stole Optimism

December 2011

I loved Dr. Suess when I was a kid. (O.K. I still do!) While I don't remember all of the red, blue and green characters from his books, I clearly remember The Grinch. In fact, I saw him a couple of weeks ago, trying to lead a company.

Optimism is one quality of an emotionally intelligent leader. Have you ever been part of a team led by someone who believed that their team was destined for great things? It’s inspiring and fun and it gives you a fighting chance to scale tall mountains. (Too much optimism, of course, is delusional. When the horse is dead, you can’t will it to victory. It’s time to get off and find another horse.)

There is a dangerous disease that can suck the optimism out of a team faster than The Grinch can steal the presents from Whoville; cynicism. Although not the direct opposite of optimism (which is pessimism), cynicism can bog down an organization and put a good size ding in the culture. Can optimism and cynicism simultaneously exist in large quantities? I don’t think so.

Having a small bit of this affliction, I appreciate the well-timed cynical comment that can lighten up a situation (for example, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”). The problem occurs when cynicism becomes embedded in an organization through its conversations, meetings and even processes. When you start from a position of, “This ain’t gonna work,” or “All of my people are dopes,” you’re in trouble. Bart Simpson is cynical and funny, but no one will follow him into battle.

Cynicism robs people of energy. Why show enthusiasm for a new product, customer or idea when the room will just shoot it down? Cynicism also destroys innovation. If my ideas have to get through Calvin Curmudgeon to see the light of day, I’ll quit trying (or just quit). Cynics don’t see failure as a necessary step to success; they see it as predictive … of everything!

Cynics like to hang out together; they find energy at the bottom of the pool. They rarely offer solutions and are not good members of a team trying to solve a problem, as they just want to bring up more problems. I’ll bet there aren’t too many cynics in Apple’s product development organization. Cynics can’t stand to be around positive, optimistic people. It wears them out. They cringe when they hear words such as “Outstanding!” and “Great job!” because they believe good things happen to those who are lucky, not good.

Optimism works, and it’s infectious! Receiving no birthday card from my kids doesn’t mean they hate me; they’re unorganized! Bob isn’t lucky because he got that great account; he’s persistent! The situation isn’t hopeless; it’s a cool challenge that we can overcome! That’s the team I want to be on.

So as the Christmas season approaches, are you looking at the future from the perspective of The Grinch or Santa Claus? You might just get what you wish for.

Copyright Todd Ordal, 2011

Here is a bonus article from CoBiz Magazine that I think you'll enjoy....

Measure Twice, Cut Once: Craftsmanship and Strategy
http://www.cobizmag.com/articles/measure-twice-cut-once/
By Todd Ordal

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Todd Ordal works with CEOs and their executive teams to increase performance, resulting in better financial results, clear strategy, better leadership or a better night's sleep for the CEO…without narcotics! You can reach Todd at todd@appliedstrategy.info or 303-527-0417.