20th July 2023
Five Tips for Leading with Optimism in the Workplace
Optimism plays a crucial role in the workplace, and leaders have the power to cultivate a positive environment. Research shows that optimistic leaders have happier and more engaged employees. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising burnout rates, leading with optimism is more important than ever. This article presents five strategies for leaders to embrace optimism, including finding purpose, practicing mindfulness, surrounding oneself with positive people, using cognitive therapy techniques, and adopting a realistic optimism mindset. Cultivating optimism is essential for navigating challenges and creating a fulfilling work environment for everyone.
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From the original article written by Andrew May and published in the CEO Magazine:
Optimism is essential in harnessing opportunities in the workplace. Here are several strategies for leaders to increase optimism.
Were it not for his humanity, Ted Lasso’s optimism might be irritating. The fictional football coach lives 4,500 miles from the family he longs for. His wife no longer loves him, and he is in a leadership position fraught with challenges. Amid curve balls, disappointments and losses, he remains optimistic because he believes that things will work out in the end.
As it is in real life, attitudes are contagious. The divisions among Lasso’s team are harnessed by his genuine optimism, and slowly they rally and succeed. While this makes for a good story, the question in real life is what place does optimism hold for leaders, and does it confer the same positive outcomes conveyed in the show?
Optimism and the workplace
As a leader, mindset matters. I spoke with Phil Waugh, newly appointed CEO of Rugby Australia, about his plans for the organization and his style of leadership.
“I think it’s healthy… to be vulnerable at certain times, and then it’s about focus and vision and positivity,” Waugh says. “I think you want to be one of those people whom others get energy from instead of sapping energy from others.”
This attitude translates to success as a leader.
“I think you want to be one of those people whom others get energy from instead of sapping energy from others.” – Phil Waugh
“The research tells us that people who have high levels of hope and optimism seek out more options, they try more solutions to resolve … and that enhances their chances,” says positivity psychologist Suzy Green.
Research has found that when leaders implemented a positive psychology intervention guided by optimism, the percentage of employees who reported that they were happy at work rose from 43 percent to 62 percent. Individuals feeling burned out often dropped from 11 percent to six percent, and individuals reporting high stress at work dropped by 30 percent.
Further research suggests optimistic employees are 103 percent more inspired to give their best effort at work.
The science supporting optimism
The above statistics are particularly important as we discover just how much people are drained following the physically and psychologically challenging years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering Australian workers are reporting some of the highest levels of burnout globally, leading with optimism is more important than ever.
Optimism has the highest relation to life satisfaction scores.
A 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development study found that emotional stability skills, including stress resistance, optimism and emotional control, are the most predictive of mental health. Optimism has the highest relation to life satisfaction scores, while emotional control and resilience are other important correlates of personal wellbeing.
“Optimists are more likely to engage in active problem-focused coping and to interpret stressful events in more positive ways, reducing worry and ruminative thoughts when they’re falling asleep and throughout their sleep cycle,” according to another 2019 study.
Read the full article to find out the five strategies to be more optimistic.
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