Churchill: We Desperately Need Your Optimism

As we approach another year, in an uncertain world, the spirit of Churchill is asking us to be optimistic.

The man who led the United Kingdom in World War Two and stood up to Hitler despite all odds against his country, is famous for saying "Never give in."

Today, we need Churchill's brand of unwavering optimism like never before.

Here is what this great man had to say on the subject and how we may apply his wisdom to our lives right now.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Many people today go through life viewing everything as a struggle. Our need to get things done immediately, when things take time, is resulting in endless frustration. But the Churchill way is to turn this upside down.

See the joy in doing things. See the opportunity in challenge.

“For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use to be anything else.”

Why be anything other than optimistic? If you're a manager, hire optimistic people. If you're a job candidate, do not be afraid to show your optimism.

Being pessimistic isn't going to help.

“You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

In daily life, we may not have "enemies" in the traditional sense, but we likely do encounter people who dislike us, or disagree with us.

Let's take Churchill's view and congratulate ourselves for being unique and standing up for our principles.

“Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result.”

It's possible that nobody in history has been the target of attempted assassination more than Churchill. In 1940, a pro-Nazi woman lunged at him with a knife but he managed to wrestle her to the ground. The Nazis also tried to kill him with a chocolate-covered bomb. In another case, two gunmen were about to shoot at his car when his bodyguard pushed him to the floor. (Churchill was angry he got shoved, telling his bodyguard "Don't ever do that again"). Is it possible that Churchill's deep layer of optimism saved his life, time after time?

Optimism can be life saving.

“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.”

In looking for reasons to be optimistic, realize that ongoing effort will win every time. If you can keep going, keep trying, and not stop - you'll succeed where smarter and stronger people will have failed.

Optimism beats intelligence and strength.

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

Can just being optimistic really make a big difference? Look at Churchill and how he inspired his people. From a purely logically point of view, there is no way Great Britain could have beaten the formidable German army. But Churchill's optimism and belief in his people made all the difference.

An optimistic attitude can overcome the most difficult hurdles.

A reason to be optimistic: help is on the way

One of the reasons Churchill was so optimistic is that he wasn't afraid to ask for help. In the new year, ask for help more often, from more people. Your optimism will skyrocket as a result. In this 1940 note to President Roosevelt, Churchill doesn't waste any time asking the President to help him. Notice he starts off by saying he knows the President wants to help, a technique Churchill often used to secure the assistance he needed.

(Picture of the telegram courtesy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library)

It’s a bright future, if we want it to be

In World War Two, Churchill would hear nothing of defeatism. In his 1940 speech to the House of Commons, Churchill famously said, "We shall never surrender."

In your own life, take the view Churchill held, and do not surrender. Instead, let's look to the year ahead with great optimism and take on whatever comes our way.

P.S.: It could be argued that Churchill navigated through World War II on not much more than his relentless optimism. He combined that healthy outlook with an equally refreshing dose of humor, once saying: "Don't interrupt me while I'm interrupting."

Historical Series:

This post is part of a series on business lessons derived from historical figures.

See other posts in the series:

Ten Best Practices from an Egomaniac (Napoléon)

Today’s Leaders are Missing Lincoln’s Humility

Lessons from a Flawed Leader (Kennedy)

Socrates: 7 Leadership Lessons from a Nobody

Gandhi: Needed Now More Than Ever

To keep track of the series, just click the “Follow” button at the top of this post.

About the Author:

For the past ten years, Cory has owned a successful IT business. He is a fanatical history buff and ardent student of leadership and management. He has been unemployed and underemployed, once working as a furniture salesman who didn't sell a single piece of furniture. In his career as an entrepreneur, he has taken time to speak at business conferences and meetings, to share his observations and insights about positive and hopeful living.