The Power of Optimistic Leadership: A Lesson from the Carter Range

Optimistic leadership has been gaining well-deserved attention for its profound impact on employee morale, organizational performance, and overall workplace culture. This weekend, I personally experienced how optimism—or the lack of it—can affect one's energy and determination to keep pushing forward, especially in challenging conditions.

Our daughter often accuses me of being “too much of a realist.” She’s an eternal optimist, always seeing the best in people, places, and situations. She loves to celebrate wins, taking time to relax and revel in success after accomplishing something difficult. Me? I’m a realist and a driver by nature. I analyze what’s in front of me—the challenges, opportunities, and threats—and craft a plan with hard goals, KPIs, and tight timelines. I don’t often focus on what could go right; that’s just the icing on the cake. My dad’s favorite motto, “hope for the best but plan for the worst,” has been a guiding principle for me. I believe that with enough determination, hard work, and focus, I can overcome any obstacle.

But this mindset has its downsides. It can lead to skipping over milestones and moving too quickly from one challenge to the next, without taking the time to celebrate wins or recharge.

This weekend, during a grueling hike across the Carter Range, in the White Mountains of NH, I learned just how crucial it is to acknowledge progress—especially when the path is hard. The first part of our hike, up North Carter Mountain, took us over two hours to cover less than two miles. It was an intense climb up sheer granite ledges, with us clinging to tree roots and scrambling to get ourselves and our two dogs safely up each ledge. By the time we reached the top, I was exhilarated. I wanted to sit, take in the view, eat a snack, and relish the accomplishment. But my husband, ever the realist, reminded me that we were behind schedule and had much further to go. He pushed us to keep going.? While I knew he was right, his focus on the work and risks ahead instead of what we had accomplished and what a beautiful day it was, drained my energy.

The same thing happened at the next peak. He was focused on the challenges ahead: a steep descent and the fact we had so far to go and not that much daylight left. Again, I felt my energy drop as we pushed forward without taking time to recharge and celebrate our progress. Finally, I told him, “I appreciate that you’ve studied the map, I know we’re behind schedule, and I love how you are trying to keep us safe. But I need to stop, appreciate what we’ve done and feel proud, and recharge before moving on.” ?Otherwise, it just feels like a death march.

That’s when it hit me: In the past, I’ve done the same thing at work. ?I’ve relentlessly pursued hard goals without always pausing to acknowledge the progress—both mine and my teams. In my drive to overcome obstacles and achieve targets, I’ve often leaned too heavily on realism and pushed too hard on continual progress, without embracing enough appreciation for progress and optimism. And this weekend, I realized firsthand how draining that approach can be.

The research is clear:? Optimistic leadership had tangible benefits. ??A Gallop Study found that leaders with a positive outlook inspire teams to be 21% more productive and 22% more profitable than teams led by pessimistic or disengaged leaders.? Also, a study in the Journal of Organizational Behavior found that teams led by optimistic leaders were more likely to engage in problem-solving and innovation when dealing with operational crises. And, finally, Research by Seligman et al. on learned optimism suggests that organizations led by optimistic leaders outperform their counterparts, particularly in industries that face frequent change or uncertainty, because optimistic leaders foster perseverance and strategic flexibility .

Now, I’m not suggesting that leaders gloss over risks or challenges. Leading with realism and addressing obstacles is important. But I am suggesting that leaders regularly share what they are hopeful about, celebrate wins—both big and small—and allow their teams time to take a breath, appreciate the scenery, and recharge after difficult accomplishments. I’ve learned from personal experience that pushing relentlessly forward without acknowledging progress only leads to burnout and disengagement. Taking the time to celebrate milestones energizes teams and provides the fuel they need to power through the next challenge.

As a Chief People Officer, I help small, growing companies build the talent, performance, and culture they need to scale and thrive. If you have any questions or want to explore how adjustments in leadership style, structure, and / or process can help your team achieve its full potential, please reach out. Let’s power your business forward—together.