[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by wulph

I was under the impression that optimists see "the glass is [present tense] half full," and not "the glass could be fuller." Maybe yours is another interpretation of optimism, but to me, finding fault with the present is a "half empty" mindset..

This is a bit off topic, but it at least gives context to my previous posts.

I've said that I'm optimistic. For me that doesn't involve seeing the glass as half full. That's more about positivity and having an optimistic perspective. When I speak of optimism, I speak of the kind that comes from talent (my optimism comes from my Maximiser talent theme).

For me, there are two layers of reality: the present--"what is"--and what I envision--"what could be". In a situation where I envision a "what could be" that is better than the present, it feels so real to me that I can't believe, and am usually extremely frustrated by, the fact that people aren't doing what appears so very obvious to me. This is literally how I view the world, so I can't imagine not viewing the world like this (that'd be like telling me to imagine how a colourblind person sees a tree; I just have no reference point for that).

If you're wondering why I naturally feel frustrated, it's because my Achiever and Activator talents drive me to reach the result I envision, and to do it now (and not later), respectively. I can't make that feeling go away, just like someone who craves order will feel a craving for order in a messy room, or someone who is empathetic will feel the emotions of people around them and won't be able to tune them out. Asking us not to feel such things is like holding our eyes open and saying, "don't see anything"--it defies our biological configuration.

I could go on; this is all text book talent stuff.

You seem curious, so I'll direct you to Marcus Buckingham who will answer all of your questions if you peruse enough of his material. For starters, let his definition of leadership knock your socks off (note: I'm not saying I'm a leader--leadership is about combining talent with skill and knowledge--but I do have the leadership trait of optimism):

A good interview:

Marcus Buckingham Interview

Choice quotes:

Now, from Buckingham: "When I say leaders are optimistic I mean simply that nothing--not their mood, not the reasoned arguments of others, not the bleak conditions of the present--nothing can undermine their faith that things will get better."

— Source: Amazon.com: Stosh D. Walsh's review of The One Thing You Need to Know: ... About ...

The Definition of Leadership

* Great leaders rally people to a better future
o Leaders have a vivid vision of what the future could be, and rally others to strive for it.
o "You are a leader if, and only if, you are restless for change, impatient for progress, and deeply dissatisfied with the status quo."
* The core talents underpinning all great leadership are optimism and ego
* Leaders may be pessimists or even depressive (see Lincoln), but nothing, not their mood, not the reasoned arguments of others, not the bleak conditions of the present, can undermine their faith that things will get better.
* "Properly defined, the opposite of a leader isn't a follower. The opposite of a leader is a pessimist."
* "Despite their realistic assessment of the present challenges, they nonetheless believe that they have what it takes to overcome these challenges and forge ahead."
* Ego: "The key thing about leading is not only that you envision a better future, but also that you believe, in every fiber of your being, that you are the one to make this future come true....You arethe one to assume the responsibility for transforming the present into something better."
* "The difference between a leader with a powerful ego and an egomania is how the ego is channeled. The effective leader takes his self-belief, his self-assurance, his self-confidence, and presses them into the service of an enterprise bigger than himself. For the egomania, the self is the enterprise."
* To help develop a budding leader, don't tell him to be humble; challenge him to be more inquisitive, more curious, and thereby more vivid in describing hs image of a better future, and then encourage him to channel his cravings and his claims towards making this image come true.

— Source: bookoutlines wiki / The One Thing You Need To Know

Leaders are Compelled by the Future - "There’s something unique and different that makes a leader, and it’s not about creativity or courage or integrity. As important as they are, you can have those attributes and still fail to be a great leader. A leader’s job is to rally people toward a better future. Leaders can’t help but change the present, because the present isn’t good enough. They succeed only when they find a way to make people excited by and confident in what comes next…….. With leaders, the future calls to them in a voice they can’t drown out. The future is more real than the present; it compels them to act."

— Source: Marcus Buckingham outlines the core concepts of superior leadership | The Practice of Leadership

Rally people to a better future. Great leaders are optimists. Not all have sunny dispositions. Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill battled depression, but they saw a better future where others saw doom. The opposite of a leader isn't a follower. The opposite of a leader is a pessimist. Optimism is more important than the right vision. Followers rally around leaders to make them right. Great leaders are clear. Followers fear change, and the antidote is clarity. Leaders have been advised recently to be humble. But the Jeff Skillings and Dennis Kozlowskis were caused by a lack of ethics, not big egos. Leaders need big egos because they must believe they are the ones to make bright futures come true.

— Source: USA TODAY Education - Careers TODAY