True optimism is contagious, and the more we practice and lead with optimism, the more others around us will practice it too. You can lead your organization with optimism. In my dissertation, I explored elements of Optimistic leadership at work. Optimistic leadership is defined as “the ability to identify, focus on, and grow the good in yourself, your team, and your organizational culture, so that you can grow innovation and productivity, and retain top talent” (Life is Good Playmakers, 2020).
In my dissertation, I identified a four-part model for optimistic leadership.
Individuals looking to engage in optimistic leadership within their team or workplace. should be continually evaluating the environment, and when encountering problems, they should ask themselves:
• “What’s good about this?”
• “Who can I collaborate with to amplify the good?
• “What do I have/need to amplify the good?”
• “How do I use what I have to create a plan of action?
I created a simple worksheet that you can use to guide you through the Optimistic Leadership Model and implement optimistic leadership in your work. If you’d like to talk more about optimism in your workplace or leading with optimism, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
And in case you were wondering, you don’t have to have a leadership title or role to practice optimistic leadership.