The New Power of Pessimism - Bainbridge Leadership Center

The New Power of Pessimism

By Donna Zajonc
November, 2010

I admit it. I am an optimist and have been all of my life. What else would possess me to write a
book with the words “hope” and “politics” in the same title? (The Politics of Hope; Reviving
the Dream of Democracy in 2004 by Synergy Press) Possibly I was taught this trait from my
positive parents or I may have the optimist gene—or possibly both.

I like being an optimist. There are many benefits. It is well documented that an optimistic
outlook keeps us healthier, protects us from anxiety disorders, strengthens our immune system
and makes us more enjoyable to be around. Optimists have more friends and a wider social
network which creates additional health benefits.

Today optimists are often called naïve to hold to their blind optimism given the state of
today’s problems. The list of catastrophic problems facing humanity is very long: an economic
crisis, ongoing war and terrorism, poverty, ecological deterioration, weapons of mass
destruction, nuclear proliferation, genocide and ethnic cleansing, religious wars and many more.
Our world is facing disastrous challenges at rapid-fire pace.

Extreme pessimists read this list of problems and announce: “What’s the use? We’re all washed
up.” These pessimists are not only difficult to be around, they often put a negative spin even
when things are looking up. They might say: “Today went well but just wait until tomorrow and
you will see this approach will never work.”

As leaders who want to offer solutions to problems, are we better equipped to lead as an
optimist or as a pessimist?

A few years ago most people would say an optimistic outlook was best. However, a new
perspective has shed a more positive light on pessimism. The power of pessimism is actually
now seen as an important quality for every leader.

What is called “defensive pessimism” is an approach that says things may go drastically wrong
and encourages leaders to be cautious and prepare for unforeseen events. Pessimism is making a
comeback!

Researchers are finding that people with defensive pessimism are more alert to and
suspicious of their surroundings compared to optimists. A touch of pessimism seems to add
to a more comprehensive approach to a challenge and therefore aids critical thinking.

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Barbara Ehrenreich in her book Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive
Thinking Has Undermined America says that Americans have been so optimistic that our high
hopes and expectations become unrealistic. This lack of “truth telling” has affected decisions in
our corporate board rooms, our elected leaders and in our lifestyle.

She argues that if we had had more pessimists on Wall Street, they would have listened when
told that their risky investments would not stand the test of time. An extreme optimist, whether a
doctor that believes they can cure every ailment or a stock broker who believes their investments
will never go bad, distorts reality.

Extreme pessimism can be a curse if it makes a leader or their teams give up on their vision. On
the other end of the spectrum, extreme optimism which believes everything will turn out okay
has the same effect in the end.

Leaders today must have a healthy dose of both pessimism and optimism. Here are a few
tips on how to create a decision making process that balances both the power of pessimism and
the confidence of optimism.

For extreme optimists, ask yourself these questions:

1. How is bad news handled? A culture of optimism often discounts bad news and does not
listen to well-founded evidence that may signal danger. Openly accepting bad news and
welcoming the larger implications is a balanced approach.

2. Do you incorporate diverse views? An overly optimistic leader or team may believe they
have the “Midas touch” and that everything they do will be successful. The investment
bankers that continued to roll the dice suffered from this limitation. They were blind to
the data that indicated a crash was coming.

3. Do you consider two or three options before making a decision? Optimists can be prone
to seeing the good in the first proposal. By carefully considering more than one solution,
optimists are forced to weight the pros and cons of more than one proposal.

4. How do you prepare for the future? Optimists work hard yet sometimes they lack
detailed preparation because of a strong belief that everything will turn out okay.
Preparation is the key to anticipating unforeseen dangerous.

For extreme pessimists, ask yourself these questions:

1. How is bad news handled? An extreme pessimist may catastrophize bad news.
Everything that goes wrong is seen as a defeat. Incorporating defensive pessimism helps
see the bad news as a data-point, and not an end-point.

2. Can you picture success? Pessimists often report only picturing failure. Creating a
detailed picture of success in their minds help pessimists believe success is possible.

3. If you tend to complain, ask yourself, what is your commitment? Behind every
complaint is a commitment. In other words, complaining means you care deeply.
Focusing more on what you are committed to, rather than your complaint, will shift your
focus toward that commitment and potential outcome.

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206.780.9300

4. How do you manage stress? Pessimists who excessively ruminate on what may go wrong
actually cause themselves more stress. Take breaks, let-up on yourself and do more of
what you love. This will interrupt your cycle of seeing the glass half empty and help to
recharge your battery and picture success.

Challenges facing America and the world today are gigantic, wicked, complex problems.
Working from and focusing on our traditional optimistic approaches limits our ability to
anticipate what may go wrong.
These are not the times to be naïve or negative. These are the times for comprehensive
approaches and critical, realistic thinking. It is optimism balanced with the power of pessimism
that will help us be more creative and innovative leaders.

Contact D onna at:w w w .bainbridgeleadership.com donna@ bainbridgeleadership.com
206.780.9300