Innovate With Optimism

Winston Churchill once said, “Optimists see opportunities in every difficulty.” There is a definite connection between optimistic leaders and business success.

- Chris Griffiths

Is the glass half full, or half empty? This age-old saying is a classic way of determining the natural outlook of a person. From a factual perspective, the glass is at 50 per cent liquid capacity, but people are still perfectly capable of perceiving this in different ways. At its heart, this saying suggests that the potential and opportunity we see in the world is specific to us. Optimists sometimes get a bad reputation—their natural positivity and ‘cando’ attitude are occasionally seen as naive or unrealistic. Often, cynics are even threatened by optimists—their drive and self-belief can seem daunting, particularly when relating to change. The truth is, the energy afforded by an optimistic viewpoint perfectly lends itself to an innovative mindset. There is great power in optimism, and that is something anyone can harness. With the right adjustment in attitude, even a natural pessimist can use a positive outlook to their advantage in business.

In leadership, positivity could not be more important. Cou