by Scott Arney
Chief Executive Officer
National Police Federal Credit Union
I am an optimistic person by nature, and I think that my optimism is generally rooted in reality. By that, I mean that I am not the type of stereotypical optimist that has his head in the clouds disassociated from the real world.
In my opinion, being an optimist does not mean that I believe everything is great all the time and that everything will work out to my advantage. My optimism simply means that my view is positive leaning and that I am able to look forward to the future while extracting the best from every situation in the present, good and bad.
Optimism is absolutely an essential quality of leadership and decision-making. As a leader, if you are not working toward what you believe is the best way forward for whoever and whatever you are leading, then you shouldn’t be the leader. As a decision maker, if you are not making decisions that you believe are designed to help achieve the best possible outcome, then you probably ought not to be the one making the decision.
I full well know that not every step I take as a leader is going to lead to the intended or desired result, but if I make every decision with a well founded belief that I am doing the right thing for the right reason, many more of my decisions will be validated and productive than if I were to make them with the belief that what I thought didn’t matter or that I have little to no control over the outcome.
Optimism that is rooted in reality, or what I call realistic optimism, considers the challenges and negatives that life serves up. Realistic optimism embraces the variability of life, that no matter how powerful of a person you may be or how strong of a decision maker you are, you simply cannot control everything in every situation all the time.
In a mindset of realistic optimism, you continually assess and evaluate all the factors around you, weighing up the challenges and opportunities, the pros and cons. Then, using all of that information to the best of your ability, you make a decision and take action. Realistic optimism requires strong evaluative skills, conviction, and adaptability among other things.
Not everyone can be an optimist, but in some ways being a pure or stereotypical optimist is easier than being a realistic optimist. That type of optimism does not appeal to me because it simply requires the belief that everything will ultimately work out for the best, which implies that you do not need to take an active role in ensuring that your beliefs ultimately influence a favorable outcome or a desired result.
So, if you agree that stereotypical optimism doesn’t work so well and pessimism isn’t even worth talking about, the questions I have are why aren’t there more realistic optimists and what is the alternative?
Difficult or not to achieve or understand, if you are not of a mindset that you can influence positive outcomes with your decisions and actions at least some of the time, what is the point?
I think that no matter how you individually consider and answer these questions, fear plays a significant role in your thoughts. Fear is present in life. Sometimes it looms large and sometimes it is in the background, but it is always present. How you choose to deal with it goes a long way toward determining your mindset and whether you can open the door to realistically optimistic thoughts and beliefs.
Nelson Mandela is credited with saying that it is not fear of failure that holds humankind back, it is fear of success. This is a profound divergence from the commonly held belief that people don’t engage or aren’t adventurous because they have a fear of failing. Following this thought, I guess it can be said that doing nothing is easier than doing something, that not being successful requires less effort and daring than being successful. That, however, leads right back to the question of purpose. What is the point in living a life that is deliberately small and irrelevant? What is the point in living a life that is expectant of nothing more than negative results and unfulfilling experiences?
Every single person on this earth has the ability to do good, to help others, to make a difference. It is a shame if fear is the single biggest factor standing in the way of that truth becoming a reality.
So, what combats fear? Determination helps. Valuing what you stand to gain more than what you stand to lose also plays a role. How about some courage? If you consider yourself a fearful person or that you are more likely to succumb to your fears than to push past them, then courage may seem out of reach, but remember that courage is not freedom from fear. Courage is the recognition and understanding of fear and the willingness to move forward anyway. This is the root foundation of realistic optimism and strong decision-making.
I want to be clear, as a self-avowed realistic optimist, I experience fear every day. Sometimes it gets in my way. Sometimes it is a thief of what would otherwise be joy or content. Every once in a while, it temporarily prevents me from making progress or from growing as a person, however, when I continue to find ways to put it in its place and move forward, it is glorious, every single time.
I enjoy teaching a class on public speaking and one of the topics that I address is the disproportionate role that fear has in preventing people from standing up in front of others and delivering a speech or sharing their message. One of the things that I point out is when you feel that butterfly in your stomach or that bit of anxiety you experience when you think about public speaking, it isn’t a negative thing. It is actually your body’s way of signaling that something out of the ordinary is about to happen.
Whether your fear is real or imagined, if you can find a way to step out of your comfort zone, confront it, and move forward, you will be rewarded handsomely for your effort.
Whether you are a leader of others or you simply want to lead yourself toward a more rewarding existence, understanding fear and in some ways embracing it is a great place to start. That understanding will make it a little easier to find your courage and start moving toward your goals and enjoying the finer things in life. Whether your definition of the finer things is career success, fulfilling relationships, or simply the gratification you discover when you bet on yourself and win, the best parts of life are worth the effort.
