Leaders need to see possibilities even when no one else can

In an interview with LeadFully.com, our CMO Agathe Blanchon-Ehrsam explains the increasing importance of optimism among todays leaders, especially when leading into an uncertain future. In an environment that is often shrouded with ambiguity, optimism can clarify visions, provide direction and unify disjointed teams. To learn more on why optimism is essential to effective leadership, see below for an excerpt:

For me, optimism is not blind positivity or a view from a wide-eyed utopia. Rather, it is the clear-sighted ability to define a possible future.

Whether it’s envisioning a world where good nutrition is good business or re-imagining our bureaucratic healthcare system as an accountable, outcome-based marketplace, optimism is about breaking down assumptions that are holding everyone else within the status quo and understanding where the possibilities lie.

Having a vision into the future is what allows leaders to inspire others and galvanize action. First, because to change what we do and how we do it, we have to be able to see things for what they can be — and such leadership provides teams with a new mental framework within which to operate. Second, because rewiring the boundaries of the possible releases a kind of adrenaline that helps teams to act in new ways and with new vigor.

Visit Leadfully to read the full interview.