“A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity;
an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
– Unknown
Bound for Antarctica, Sir Ernest Shackleton planned to be the first human to cross on foot the last unchartered continent. Born in Ireland in 1874, he was a polar explorer who led two previous British expeditions to the Antarctic, and one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.
On this his third expedition, his ship, the Endurance, set sail from England in August, 1914. In January 1915, after battling its way for 6 weeks through a thousand miles of pack ice and now only a day sail short of her destination, the Endurance became locked inside an island.
Sleeping on the Endurance each night, the crew could hear the strange and perilous sounds of the ship’s timbers slowly being crushed by the massive, shifting ice flow.
Their beloved ship slipped beneath the surface into the dark, freezing waters on November 21, 1915. The crew was forced to spend the long, cold polar night living on the ice – months of total darkness with an ever decreasing supply of food and other critical provisions.
Despite this extremely perilous situation, morale among the crew remained high. Reading diary entries from the crew, it’s clear that the general attitude was one of optimism. To a man they had little doubt that they would survive. Indeed, against enormous odds, all 29 crew members lived to tell of their amazing 2 year odyssey of survival.
Given their perilous situation and numerous setbacks, how did they maintain an optimistic attitude?
The answer is Shackleton’s tremendous leadership and, specifically during this expedition, his remarkable ability to create a culture of optimism. From their book Shackleton’s way, Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell state it best:
“Shackleton believed in optimism, lived it, selected the crew for it, talked about it, and praised crew members when they showed it. Optimism became the culture so that the men continued to keep their spirits up.”
– Shackleton’s Way
While our level of optimism as leaders will rarely impact human survival, it will certainly impact business survival.
Remember the following 2 maxims:
1. The leader creates and owns the culture.
The general level of optimism (or pessimism) on any team is directly influenced by the leader’s level of optimism.
2. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
A leader’s enthusiasm, hopefulness, and confidence multiply as they radiate outward through the organization.*
Despite setbacks, remember to maintain an optimistic demeanor. Don’t ignore the setbacks and challenges, but also don’t wring your hands and mire in them. In future blogs we’ll discuss much more of the intriguing power of optimism.
Until then, be a great leader. Remember the power of optimism!
Mark
*From “The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell”, Harari