Imagine getting up before dawn when it is still dark and often cold in winter months and then diving into a swimming pool to begin the first of two long and grueling workouts. High school swimmers will log 3,000 yards once a day; collegiate and Olympic hopeful swimmers will do twice as much — six or seven days a week.
To endure that mind-numbing, as well as body-demanding routine, requires a degree of personal stamina matched only by an individual drive for excellence, as well as an attitude that enables the swimmer to see possibility where others might see drudgery.
Another requirement is good coaching. One of the best coaches is Jon Urbanchek a six-time U.S. Olympic assistant swim coach and recently retired head coach at the University of Michigan. Urbanchek, a Hungarian immigrant, has coached 33 Olympic athletes, five of whom achieved gold medals. His secret, which he revealed in an interview with the Ann Arbor News, is: "I always look at making something good out of something bad. I always look at the bright side of everything. I'm a very positive thinker."
This attitude was evident even as a young man; he flunked out of engineering school at Michigan, which spurred him to consider a career in coaching, a decision that he does not regret. Olympic medalist and swimmer Tom Malchow says this about his coach: "Jon has a personality that makes you feel better about things. Men. Women. Sprinters. Old people. Everybody. That's one of Jon's greatest gifts."
Optimism is a gift that many leaders possess. Optimism is often intertwined with hope, and rightly so, but there is a difference. Hope is the process of becoming, of seeing and striving for positive outcomes. Optimism is the emotional component that brightens the prospects, and makes it possible for hope to flourish.
The Nurturing Spirit Two presidents known for their exceptional transformational leadership skills radiated optimism. In the depths of the Great Depression, the jaunty demeanor and upbeat talk of Franklin Roosevelt made people feel better about dire circumstances. Fifty years later, Ronald Reagan applied his sunny disposition to seemingly intractable issues, economic malaise, burdensome taxes and Soviet hegemony. Again, people felt better. Both Roosevelt and Reagan coupled their attitudes with solid action.
Optimism without action lacks credibility. So managers who wish to generate a sense of optimism must do so with purpose and planning. Communication is essential. Here are five actions to consider:
Look on the bright side. A generation ago, Norman Cousins wrote of the power of positive thinking in his book about his own ill health, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient. Medical research bears out the fact that a patient's positive attitude toward disease can ameliorate symptoms and contribute to recovery. If this is true for health of the body, it is definitely true for organizational health. Managers who focus on what is possible can help their people achieve better outcomes.
Address negatives. With apologies to Forest Gump, life is not like a bowl of cherries. People make mistakes, deadlines slip and projects fail. Rather than gloss over such problems, optimistic managers can address the situation head on and then move on. By confronting reality, you communicate that you understand the seriousness of the situation but you also believe that things can be made better. Mistakes are seldom fatal, and projects can be resurrected with appropriate deadlines. Being upbeat in times of crisis gives people faith and hope that things will get better, if they do their part.
Make work fun. Yes, you've heard this one before. For good reason. It works. Some companies like Southwest Airlines are famous for levity, which emerges from the lightheartedness of its founder, Herb Kelleher. Sam Walton famously donned a hula skirt and danced on Wall Street because he'd lost a bet to his David Glass, then CEO of Wal-Mart. Kelleher and Walton communicated to their employees that you should not take yourself too seriously and it's okay to have fun on the job. Ways that managers can foster fun are to spring for team lunches, sponsor interdepartmental competitions or even trade favored parking spaces. When it comes to fun, there is no end to what can be done — as long as activities are tasteful and non-toxic to mind or body.
Use humor. Coach Urbanchek likes to make light of things. He has a crackling wit, especially when he tweaks his longtime friend and fellow coach (albeit of another sport, football), Bo Schembechler. He applies the same needle to his own swimmers. For example, he'll kick one of his sandals into the water with the admonition, "my shoe can go faster than you." Humor is precious but it must be released in the right dosage and with the right amount of care. That is, if you make yourself a target, too, you create an atmosphere where foibles are teased, but personalities are respected. For example, a manager can tease about tardiness, but must not lampoon attitudes or character — those deserve more serious consideration. (Hint: when in doubt about using humor, don't. Follow your gut instincts.)
Provide recognition. Nothing energizes an organization like recognizing people in a timely and meaningful way. Timely means doing it promptly as well as regularly. Meaningful connotes providing recognition that communicates something special to the individual. Eric Harvey, author of 180 Ways to Walk the Recognition Talk, advises people to cultivate an "'attitude of gratitude,' by creating a written list of performance and behaviors deserving of recognition." Among the behaviors Harvey says are deserving of recognition are "exceeding expectations, volunteering for tough assignment, helping others in the organization meet their goals, [and] keeping a cool head under pressure."
Just the Right Amount Too much optimism, as with hope that is misplaced, can be harmful. For example, if an organization is in the middle of a painful transformation that may involve reductions in head count and the CEO is radiating nothing but good cheer, his good intentions will actually backfire. He will appear as a simpleton and out of touch with reality and, worse, his failure to face the reality of job cuts may make it more painful for people who are let go. That said, trying times need people who can look on the bright side, as long as they do it with a sense of calmness and purpose.
Optimism is a life force. Like hope it requires an ability to look at what many perceive as negative and discern something positive. All leaders cannot do this, but they owe it to their people to make the effort. It may not alter the course, but it will make people feel better and perhaps even achieve more than is expected of them. Take it from Jon Urbanchek: "You've got to lighten up. Otherwise it will be all work." Good words from a master coach.
John Baldoni is a leadership communications consultant who works with Fortune 500 companies as well as non-profits including the University of Michigan. He is a frequent keynote and workshop speaker as well as the author of six books on leadership; the latest is How Great Leaders Get Great Results (McGraw-Hill). Readers are welcome to visit his leadership resource website at
www.johnbaldoni.com.