Lessons from Apple, Starbucks, & Michael J. Fox

“What I’ve learned over time is that optimism is a very important part of leadership,” according to Walt Disney Company CEO, Robert Iger, in a recent New York Times interview. “People don’t like to follow pessimists,” Iger says.

After interviewing hundreds of the world’s most inspiring leaders, I can say that Iger’s philosophy is shared by men and women who inspire the people in their personal or professional lives. In conducting the research for my new book, Fire Them Up!, I interviewed leaders, business owners, managers and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. Optimism is one essential ingredient to their success. Inspiring leaders are simply more optimistic than average.

Michael J. Fox, the actor suffering from Parkinson’s, recently tackled the subject of optimism in an ABC special, Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.  “Optimism is contagious,” he said. While it might sound trite, extraordinary leaders know this to be true and build their workplace culture around optimism. The first step to building a great place to work, however, is to become a more optimistic person yourself. Here are the five steps to developing optimistic habits.  

Build on your strengths. Inspiring leaders focus on their achievements; they learn from setbacks but never consider them failures. Events that most of us might perceive as catastrophic are temporary blips in the eyes of these individuals. In fact, some innovative companies encourage failure. For example, Google recommends that its engineers carve out 20 percent of their time to dream up new ideas. When engineers are given room to fail, they increase their chance of success.

Radiate positivity. Famed body language researcher, Paul Ekman, found that if people spend enough time frowning, they will feel sad. If they smile, stand tall and walk with purpose, they actually feel more confident. The outward expression of confidence plays an important role in developing a more positive, optimistic personality. U.S President, Barack Obama, once said one of the valuable lessons he learned was to “always act confident.” If your co-workers see that you refuse to cower in tough times, they themselves will feel more confident in your presence.

 Speak highly of yourself. When a reporter asked legendary golfer Tiger Woods if he plans to win every tournament, woods responded, “of course.” The road to failure is paved with negativity, Woods once said. If you think you can’t do something, chances are you won’t. Your words create your reality. Inspiring communicators know the most important conversation is not between themselves and others; it’s the conversation they have with themselves.

Surround yourself with builders, not detractors. Optimistic individuals share time with other optimists. Talk show queen, Oprah Winfrey, once said if you want to see what you’ll be like five years from now, take a look at the people you associate it with today. Spend time with people who are wealthier than you, wiser, smarter, or more spiritual. They will lift you higher.

Create magnificent obsessions. Inspiring individuals dream bigger than everyone else. Donald Trump once said that if you’re going to dream anyway, you might as well think big. Fire Them Up! contains insights from entrepreneurs who build some of the world’s greatest brands – all of them had big visions to change the world. For example, Starbucks founder, Howard Schultz, didn’t just want to build a coffee shop, he wanted to create a third place between work and home; Zappos CEO Tony Hseih didn’t want to just sell shoes, he wanted deliver happiness, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs didn’t want to just build computers, he wanted to unleash personal creativity. Inspiring leaders pursue passions that consume their minds.

 Read more about the role optimism plays in your career or workplace in Carmine Gallo’s new book, Fire Them Up! 7 Simple Secrets to Inspire Your Colleagues, Customers and Clients