Choose Optimistic Onboarding

None of us can control everything.  But we can choose how we react to events.  Choosing optimism and its associated hopefulness and confidence can be infectuous.  Organizations marked by hopefulness and confidence are inevitably more enjoyable than those marked by dispair and fear.  Choose hope.  Choose confidence.  Choose optimism.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not suggesting you should short cut due diligence.  I'm not suggesting you should not have a realistic view of what you're getting into.  I'm most certainly not suggesting that you don't need a plan B if plan A falters.  I'm just suggesting that you do all those with an optimistic view of the future – especially as we all onboard into 2011.

These come through in Three Winning Ideas for 2011 that I highlighted in a post for the MENG blog:

  1. Do the work required to prepare to win.
  2. Inspire and enable others to win.
  3. Adapt to win.

Bottom line, choose an optimistic outook and choose to do the hard work required to prepare, inspire and enable others, and adapt to win.

Read More Articles

A large crowd of people seated closely together, viewed from behind, attending an event or presentation in a dimly lit venue.
The Stakeholders You’re Not Thinking About – And Why They Can Derail Your First 100 Days

Cracker Barrel made headlines when its relatively new CEO departed after less than two years in the role they were hired to transform. The reasons were complex, but one thread…

Read Article
A person holding a clipboard with a blank sheet of paper and a pen poised to write
Outcome-Based Governance: Aligning Policies, Guidelines, and Principles

Policies channel compliance. Guidelines invite contribution. Principles earn commitment. Start with how you want people to behave at work and then design your governance stack to reinforce, not inhibit that.  Three…

Read Article
Concept image of human brain made of blue and gray paint brushes
The Neuroscience of Leadership: Accelerating Growth Mindset and Enterprise Performance

Organizations’ futures depend less on what their people know today than on how fast they can learn, adapt, and execute tomorrow. Building on Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset – the idea that abilities can be…

Read Article
A group of professionals collaborating.
Everything Communicates: Especially As and To an Executive Onboarding into a New Role

Everything communicates. Everything you say and don’t say, do and don’t do, and the order in which you say and do it sends a message. The same is true for everyone around you. As an executive onboarding into a…

Read Article
Group team working in a office.
Designing The Right Offsites for Different Leadership Levels

Offsites can be rocket fuel or expensive theater. One difference is whether you design each for the kind of leadership each level needs to provide: cultural, strategic, operational, or tactical. When you nest your offsites to fit those roles, you…

Read Article
Argentina flag with the body shape of the country in soccer field.
Strategic Adaptation in Leadership: Lessons from the Argentina–England World Cup Semi-Final

The Argentina–England World Cup semi-final was not just a game; it was a live case study in how leaders deploy strategy and tactics—and what happens when they fail to adjust…

Read Article