Resilient Leadership, Part 2

One component of Resilient Leadership is:

Realistic Optimism
Nancy Ortberg writes, “I think the core of leadership is hope. Leadership is the hope that we can change the things that need to be changed and create what we cannot now imagine.” (Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands, p. 7)

There is a section in the chapter on “Confront the Brutal Facts,” in Jim Collins’ book Good to Great titled the Stockdale Paradox. In speaking of the companies that transitioned from good to great that were studied, Collins writes: “In every case, the management team responded with a powerful psychological duality. On the one hand, they stoically accepted the brutal facts of reality. On the other hand, they maintained an unwavering faith in the endgame, and a commitment to prevail as a great company despite the brutal facts.” (Good to Great, p. 83)

Named after Admiral Jim Stockdale who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam and who survived by facing the reality of the prison camp, and yet maintained a determination that one day he would be released. He said those least likely to make it out of the camps were the unrealistic optimists who refused to deal with the harsh realities of their captivity, and when their fantasies were not realized, they simply gave up.

I’m also reminded of the depth which our faith can play in providing this optimism. Some of you will know the story behind the great hymn “It is Well with My Soul.” Horatio G. Spafford, the author of the hymn, was a well known Chicago attorney in the mid-late 1800’s, but he did not write the hymn at the peak of his happiness. In 1872 his son died at age 4 from scarlet fever, and then a year later he lost all his holdings in the great Chicago fire. Planning to take his wife and four daughters to assist D.L. Moody in England, he was delayed at the last minute and his family went on ahead. Nine days later he received a telegram from his wife “Saved Alone.” The ship they were on collided with another ship and sunk in 12 minutes claiming the lives of 226 people, including Spafford’s four daughters and almost his wife. Spafford immediately boarded a ship to join his wife. One day the captain of the ship called him to the bridge and told him that as near as they could determine that where they were currently sailing was the approximate location of the wreck, in waters three miles deep. Spafford went to his cabin and penned the great words to this hymn:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Realistic Optimism comes naturally to some more than others, and should come easier for those with faith, but everyone can develop this perspective. “To lead well, we must possess the strong belief that our best days are ahead of us. Hope and leadership are inexorably linked.” (Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands, p. 8)