If your current personal or professional situation is making you discouraged, read the Warren Bennis May 18 essay in BusinessWeek, Only the Optimists Survive. Bennis is one of the world’s top leadership experts; a successful author, consultant and professor. Although he writes here for a business-oriented audience, his message of tough-minded optimism, of seeing beyond your current situation and doing what’s necessary for a better future, is applicable to anyone. And his examples go beyond the business world. Franklin Roosevelt had to deal with the terrible shape the country was in when he was elected President, as well as his own paralysis. Pete Carroll was dismissed twice as an NFL football coach, yet adapted and developed his abilities to become a highly successful college coach at USC. Bennis provides other examples, as well as the following “blueprint for survival” at the conclusion: “Good organizations and good leaders, especially in our tense and uncertain moment in history, have the capacity to bounce back; to adapt as necessary; to persevere with an expectation of success; and to engage others in a shared sense of purpose; and to win a reputation for integrity through these other qualities.” A final note: Bennis was a longtime friend of (and perceptive writer about) Peter Drucker, and is one of the endorsers of my forthcoming book, Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life.
Bruce Rosenstein
Author, Editor, Speaker, Blogger