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action steps to tackle the problem and move
forward together.
You're transparent
with your team
One of the biggest mistakes you can
make is to shelter your team from looming
problems. Optimistic realists know that you
can be transparent about the issues at hand
while also being the encouraging force that
gets your team back on track. That's because
transparency leads to trust. Your honesty builds
a better work environment.
You understand
your limitations
Optimistic realists know that they
can't do it all, but they also know that the team
around them can help them accomplish so
much more. Your greatest resources as a leader
are the people you work with every day. Be
honest with them that you need help and
remain positive that they will help you come
up with the solution.
You sense when
it's time to reset
Times of crisis are opportunities to
reflect on the big picture. But as a leader, it's
on you to make the final call when it's time to
push the 'reset' button. Always go back to your
goals and ask yourself the tough questions:
Are we still on track? Have we lost sight of
our vision?
Brian de Haaff is the co-founder and CEO of Aha!
and the author of Lovability. His two previous
companies were acquired by well-known
public corporations. De Haaff writes and speaks
about product and company growth and the
adventure of living a meaningful life. For
more information, visit aha.io.
Great teams build great organizations. So
the next time a crisis hits, reflect on your own
strengths and weaknesses – then rally and pull
from the people around you. When your team
sees you as an optimistic realist, they will likely
adopt the attitude for themselves. You will
encourage a workplace of critical thinkers who
know there's a solution to every problem and
who will work tirelessly until they find it.
