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FROM THE FOUNDER
Staying optimistic
There are things you can do to stay positive and prevent pessimism from ruining your ability to lead.
I hope we can all agree that being an optimist is a critical characteristic of strong leadership. That said, it isn’t always easy. There are a million problems that can drag us down and mire us in a creeping darkness. Sometimes it feels like what is happening in the kids’ movie, The NeverEnding Story , when the “Nothing” threatens to take over Fantasia, for those of you who remember it.
Mark Zweig
We all have problems and frustrations at work and at home. And if we are business owners in an AEC firm, the line between those two tends to be very fuzzy. We take work problems home and we bring home problems with us to work. But there are things you can do to stave off the “Nothing” and not let it steal your optimism and ruin your ability to lead. Here are a few of them: 1. Limit your news intake. The news is mostly negative, sensational, and divisive. That’s what sells and gets the most attention. And the news sources aren’t just TV news or newspapers like they used to be. It’s also in the form of social media and podcasts and more. I’m not suggesting you bury your head in the sand and blissfully ignore what is going on in the world, but find your sources, check in with them on a
schedule, and then get out. The more of this negativity you take in, the more helpless you will feel. And that isn’t a good place to be if you want to lead other people who are probably feeling like their lives are out of control. 2. Hang out with other optimistic and successful people. These positive people can be found in your list of friends, mentors, clients, neighbors, and even employees of your own business. They will inspire you and motivate you and help prop you up when you need it. I have found positive people in all of these groups, plus students because I teach at the university level. Young people tend to be more optimistic because they haven’t been beaten down by life yet.
See MARK ZWEIG, page 6
THE ZWEIG LETTER MARCH 3, 2025, ISSUE 1575
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