How do leaders in your organization view the world?

Our reader poll today asks: How do leaders in your organization view the world?

• They’re exceedingly, and sometimes dysfunctionally, optimistic 17.05%
• They’re reasonably optimistic 39.21%
• They balance optimism and pessimism 32.95%
• They’re somewhat pessimistic 7.95%
• They’re exceedingly pessimistic 2.84%

Balanced optimism. While most of you reported your leaders skew optimistic, there’s a large group (17%) that believes the optimism is excessive. Being too optimistic can lead you to ignore risks, minimize obstacles, and not be as diligent as you need to be. Excessive optimism can also lead to lofty and soon to be missed expectations which can then cause a downward performance spiral. While optimism is important, if you find you’re too optimistic, find a skeptic in your organization who can help you find a more balanced view. Actively consider risks and challenges and accept some level of probability that they might occur. Balanced optimism can keep people engaged and motivated but not set them up for discouragement if things don’t play out as expected.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.