What is the optimism factor in real estate agents?
Every leadership study I’ve seen that ranks the characteristics of great leaders and entrepreneurs puts optimism right at the top of the list. Is optimism something you are born with or something you learn? If we were to measure ourselves right now, we would find varying degrees of optimism amongst us as a group, but we would all have some. If we can have it, we can develop it further. Certainly, some individuals seemed to be naturally better “wired” for optimism, but don’t be fooled – we can all learn to be more optimistic. Optimism is a feeling that things will work out. The optimist is not a fool looking at the world though “rose color glasses”, without regard for external forces that may get in the way of their plans. They take responsibility for what they can control and accept that they are not in control of everything. They understand how their thinking influences their expectations and that they may not always get what they want, but they will always get what they expect.
As the captain of your ship and owner of your business, are you prepared for the task of leading yourself and your team (if you have one) into the challenges of the New Year? This month we give some thought to optimism in leadership. I have a few strategies that you can use right away.
- Avoid negative environments. Make every effort to seek the inclusion of positive individuals into your team. Avoid the professional complainers.
- Celebrate your strengths. The key to high achievement and happiness is to work to your strengths, not correct your weaknesses. Focus on what you do well.
- Take care of your spiritual and emotional wellbeing by reading material that inspires you daily.
- Manage or ignore what you cannot change. When faced with setbacks, identify what you can change and proactively try to find ways to do something about it. Be inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s words: “While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.”
- Learn to reframe. This involves deliberately shifting perspective and looking for the hidden positive in a negative situation, the proverbial silver lining, especially when you experience setbacks, and choosing to put a positive spin on events. Seek the valuable lesson in every problem or difficulty – remember there are no mistakes, only lessons. Every experience is a positive opportunity for growth and self-mastery.
- Dispute your pessimistic thoughts. Dispute negative pervasive thoughts by identifying your irrational thinking and replace it with more reasonable or rational thinking.
- Adapt your language and outlook. Consider how a simple shift in the language you use can make a difference in your outlook: Do you frequently say: “yes, but….” in response to suggestions from colleagues? The “but” automatically negates anything you have said in the beginning part of the sentence. A simple shift to “yes, and…” will make a positive difference.
- Become aware of your stance in business meetings. Are you known as the “devil’s advocate”, the one who is quick to shoot down others’ ideas? Jumping in too quickly to negate an idea can derail the creative process. Often valuable ideas are the result of an initial “crazy” thought. Practice being more upbeat, practice speaking last, and see what happens.
- Focus outside yourself, on important people in your life, on pursuits and projects that fire you up. Bertrand Russell once said that the quickest way to make ourselves miserable is to continually focus on ourselves.
- Nurture a culture of optimism. Expect people to succeed, and even when they occasionally fail to achieve what they set out to do, encourage them so that they can tackle the next challenge. A simple: “I know you’ll do better the next time” can have very positive effects.
- Focus on the task to be accomplished rather than your negative emotions, such as disappointment or fear, and see the possibilities within the task.
- Don’t take setbacks personally; take responsibility but recognize the influence of external factors on the situation. Redefine situations in terms of their external causes.
- DeCatastrophize and ask yourself: “What’s the worst thing that could happen, and can I live with it?” Then focus on doing everything you can to minimize the fallout.
- An optimistic belief in yourself and your capabilities to positively impact situations, even ones that appear negative, fuels success. Try gently moving your mind into positive, optimistic thoughts whenever you find yourself feeling negative, depressed, or in despair. The rainbow is there; you just need to see it….
Strength and courage,
Wade
