Category Archive: pessimism

How Unhappy People Lead

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

How to Rise Above Pessimism and Lead Optimistically

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

A Premortem: Reverse Positive Thinking for Success

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

3 Ways to Overcome “That Won’t Work”

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

How to Think Negative and Still Succeed

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

The 7 Laws of Planning During Turbulence

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