I prefer happiness to sadness. But what if sadness is an asset? Unhappy leaders: Martin Luther King Jr. tried to commit suicide twice before he was 13. (Time) (Winston Churchill’s) creative-depressive personality meant… Continue reading
If you’re a pessimist, the only thing worse than dying young is living a long miserable life. Pessimistic leaders focus on faults and weaknesses. Success with people requires optimism. You choose: Think of… Continue reading
Do premortems. A postmortem is too late. Gary Klein introduced the idea of premortems. A premortem is reverse positive thinking. Instead of imagining success, imagine failure. What might go wrong: A year from now,… Continue reading
Naysayers are often right – especially when they’re roadblocks. “What works,” emerges AFTER you try. We have a delusional ability to believe we’re right when, in truth, we have nothing to support our… Continue reading
Even Eeyore is right sometimes. Overly optimistic leaders: Minimize challenges. Fail to anticipate problems. Throw in the towel when it stays dark too long. Stockdale: James Stockdale – former P.O.W. – told Jim… Continue reading
A five-year plan is a fairy tale in turbulent environments. The best you can do in uncertainty and turbulence is set direction and improvise. Planning is making decisions ahead of time. Last year’s… Continue reading
