Today I’m delighted to welcome Adrian Swinscoe. A couple of weeks ago, he shared some thoughts about optimism in a comment to my Why New Work Pioneers REALLY Bother post. I invited him along to tell us more. Enjoy!
Many of us will have heard of Emotional Intelligence over the course of the last few years. It was popularized after the publication of Daniel Goleman‘s best seller Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ in 1996.
Daniel Goleman’s research into Emotional Intelligence (EQ), where EQ designates emotional intelligence and IQ represents academic, intellectual or technological knowledge, quantified the importance of developing EQ. He found that EQ was between 2 and 5 times a better predictor of success (see chart below).
It doesn’t matter which field you’re in whether it’s medicine, law, engineering, journalism, the arts, one of the trades or any other career as the most successful individuals in each area are not necessarily the ones who are the smartest people or those who are the most technically gifted. Instead, the top stars in each field are the ones with the highest EQ or best ‘people skills’.
More recent work on EQ and its relationship to success in leadership roles by Martyn Newman and described in his book Emotional Capitalists described 10 different traits of high-performers. Their highest scores were on:
- Self-reliance – the ability to take responsibility and back one’s own decisions when things get tough;
- Self-confidence – the ability to maintain self-respect and personal confidence;
- Relationship skills – the ability to develop relationships with a wide variety of people;
- Empathy – the ability to understand the view point of all parties and develop resonant connections with others;
- Self-awareness – awareness of how feelings and emotions impact on personal opinions, attitudes and judgments;
- Self-actualisation – the ability to effectively manage their work/life balance;
- Assertiveness – how to express feelings, thoughts and beliefs openly in a straightforward way, while respecting the fact that others may hold a different opinion or expectation;
- Flexibility – adaptable and open to new ideas in the face of change;
- Self-control – the ability to stay calm in stressful situations and maintain productivity without losing control. And, finally;
- Optimism – the ability to look on the brighter side of life and sense opportunities in all situations.
Now, some people find the final trait (Optimism) quite challenging as they would say that you are either an optimist or a pessimist or a realist or whatever and that’s they way you are. It’s an age-old debate but research has shown that optimistic people are happier, more effective and more successful than pessimists. And, Martin Seligman in his book Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life argues that optimism can be learned as a skill and that we can train ourselves to become more optimistic. Check out Dr Seligman and his definition of optimism here:
Why Learning to be More Optimistic is Important
Think about it this way: If something bad or negative happens, optimists tend to view it as temporary whereas pessimists tend to do the opposite. Obviously, its not as black and white as this and people will be more optimistic or pessimistic in different areas of their lives depending on their experiences. However, developing a sense of optimism in all areas of ones life will not guarantee but will contribute positively to better outcomes.
Why is this? Because, like Henry Ford once said:
“Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you’re right”
So, optimism or pessimism tend to be self-fulfilling prophecies. It’s as simple as that.
If you want to have less negative stuff happen to you and want to generate more positive outcomes then learn to be more optimistic and you will be taking a more active role in defining your future and happiness. Monty Python captured the essence of all of this in their song: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.
I hope that made you hum and smile 
Finally, now that we’ve established that optimism is important to your future success and happiness. What things do you do to stay optimistic in the face of challenges?
Adrian Swinscoe is a consultant and coach from the UK who writes about customer-focused business growth at Ideas for Business Growth. He has a strong belief that optimism is an essential part of any culture, whether business or personal, and that if more people were more optimistic that the world would be a better place. Why not connect with him on Twitter @adrianswinscoe, LinkedIn or if you liked this article then why not subscribe to his RSS Feed?
Twitter: adrianswinscoe
says:
Hi Christine,
Thank you for allowing me to write a piece on Optimism for your fantastic blog. I had fun writing it and hope your readers like it
Adrian
.-= Adrian Swinscoe´s last blog ..Looking for Value? =-.
Hi Adrian,
Thanks for writing a piece that’s both informative and fun. I can tell you enjoyed putting it together!
Hope the readers like it too
Adrian,
First of all, thanks to Chrissie for having the vision to sponsor you for a fabulous guest post.
Your post resonated with me. It really did.
Why?
It reminded me of a remarkable individual. One person I have admired ever since my childhood.
If memory serves, this person dropped out of school at 16, because of lack of interest in formal education.
He started to work as a waiter at a tea-stall due to poor financial circumstances.
He started out as a poet, at a time when nobody would take him seriously. He loved poetry, even though being a poet by trade was considered unfashionable in those days. Against the norms.
Creativity was his only gift; his only way to connect with the world around him. Creativity was the only way for him to contribute to society. Creativity was his only USP.
Without a college education, it was tough. The job market can be difficult for a drop-out. Money was scarce; life was scary in the fast lane; nobody would hire him; he found it difficult to make ends meet.
But he never stopped believing in his dreams. And his talent was genuine; he had a voice that was authentic. He continued to struggle.
He has faced so many ups and downs in his life, both personal and professional. But he never gave in and he never gave up. Not on you life.
Today, Pritish Nandy is famous, wealthy and successful. He lives in Bombay (now, Mumbai), India and has traveled all over the world. A rags to riches story–quite an inspiration.
The world told Pritish to be a doctor/lawyer/engineer, but he never succumbed to this temptation. His contemporaries went abroad in search of greener pastures, but Pritish stayed put back home. Pritish followed his intuition and stayed true to the whispers of his muse.
Today, Pritish is a columnist, author of numerous books, journalist,editor, publisher, writer, poet, owner of a media company, and a health spa/gym, producer, and has won numerous awards, both national and international–prestigious ones too.
It is a story of a human being who rose to great heights despite the circumstances of his life.
Whenever I feel blue, I remember Pritish Nandy.
If you are optimistic by nature, your faith can move mountains. Hope is what drives clouds away.
And even in this age of science, technology, commerce and the MBA degree, Pritish Nandy committed the sin of falling in love with the magic of words during his childhood.
Today, he is a politician and his paintings are displayed at prestigious art galleries.
Pritish is invited to functions around the world, a sought-after speaker. What a versatile human being. Truly, optimism can lead to amazing results. Thanks for the timely reminder. Cheers!
Twitter: adrianswinscoe
says:
Hi Archan,
Thank you for that amazing story about Pritish and a fantastic example of what Optimism can deliver.
I have not heard of Pritish Nandy but will certainly look him up.
Adrian
.-= Adrian Swinscoe´s last blog ..Great Customer Service Starts With Internal Branding =-.
Hi Archan,
Thanks for sharing more about Pritish Nandy. His story really does illustrate the benefits of an optimistic outlook. Although he had a disadvantaged background, he wasn’t letting himself “poor, helpless me”. He “knew” that he would succeed and he did. And, as his story also shows, other people are drawn to optimism. They have something about them that others want to share in.
Appreciate your contribution!
Twitter: IAC_Heather
says:
Reading this article and watching the videos was just what I needed this morning! Sometimes we need to check ourselves in order to get back on track and not fall victim to that thing called negativity. The following quote came to mind mid-way through Dr. Seligman’s video: The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. Winston Churchill
It is so true. Don’t let that 1 little thing ruin your entire day and your entire outlook on everything that happens that day – it can easily turn into a giant snow-ball effect.
PS – thank you for the Monty Python video!! =)
.-= Heather Villa´s last blog ..Making Ideas Happen: How to Act on Great Strategies =-.
Hey, Heather,
Glad that the post did the trick for you the other morning! The thing I love about the Seligman stuff is that we can switch what lens we’re looking through. The optimistic take on things just allows us to see things so much more expansively.
And I LOVE Monty Python…!!
Twitter: adrianswinscoe
says:
Hi Heather,
Really pleased you liked the post and I must endorse what Christine says about Optimism being a choice. We just have to choose how we see things. Sometimes it’s hard to do so and that’s ok but becoming an optimist if you are not one naturally takes a little commitment and a regular practice.
Video is great, isn’t it?
Adrian
.-= Adrian Swinscoe´s last blog ..The Strength of Your Brand is Not Dependent on the Size of Your Marketing Budget =-.
Twitter: jblack2012
says:
Being optimism is so critical to your daily well-being. Since I’m a natural-born pessimist, it is something that I deal with every day.
I think that it is critical that people look to the good in even the darkest situations, the learning experience in the failures, and the win in each loss.
It makes life a lot less stressful as well.
-Joshua Black
The Underdog Millionaire
.-= Joshua Black | The Underdog Millionaire´s last blog ..Small Business Branding- Kick Ass and Get Customers =-.
That’s a great way to sum things up, Joshua:
“I think that it is critical that people look to the good in even the darkest situations, the learning experience in the failures, and the win in each loss.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Thanks for being here and contributing.
Twitter: adrianswinscoe
says:
Hi Joshua,
Thanks for being so honest and sharing the benefit that you get from working on your optimism.
Adrian
.-= Adrian Swinscoe´s last blog ..The Strength of Your Brand is Not Dependent on the Size of Your Marketing Budget =-.