Ever since reading a book called Good To Great I’ve been on a pessimistic bent – a pessimistic hole if you like.
It’s been about a month now and I’ve finally realized my predicament and since denial ain’t just a river in Egypt, I reckon that my sudden realization is the most important step towards getting back to my natural optimism. Great.
The irony of my recovery is that I think I’m only about half way there.
So, where does that leave me?
blief 
And here I thought you were about to break into an Alice In Chains song.
Book sounds interesting…i’ll have to give it a read.
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It sounds like a great book. Why the pessimism?
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Hmm, I might have to look into that book. Although, since I’m naturally a pessimist (I call it being a realist) it might not be good for me.
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Grr
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The pessimism? Feels like it is rooted in a more realistic (thanks shawn) view about what organizations are capable of.
The book basically does a ton of research looking for the common thread inside companies that have existed for a substantial amount of time and never become more than just average. Then, what appears to the outside world as a watershed/Hollywood moment they transition to outperformig their peers by leaps and bounds for another sustained period of time. The findings are very revealing.
I see the points and am eager to take the lessons to heart and start figuring things out but a good many influential folks in my organization don’t get it and don’t appear that they ever will.
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“many influential folks in my organization don’t get it”
A generally-applicable truism if there ever was one. However, the satisfaction that one gets, when (finally!!) the objections to your brilliant idea by those “influential folks” is over-ridden by a superior who has the faculty to recognize a promising idea when he sees one, provides a great payoff — and the ultimate joy that comes when your idea matures into the “best thing since sliced bread” and tempts one to point to those nay-sayers and rub their faces in your success.
But I advise you to refrain from submitting to that temptation.
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I vote for your usual optimism.
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I too thought of Alice in Chains. Pessimism is far too easy a state of mind to be in with all that is going on in the world 😦 I will look into that book.
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Why does everyone keep saying the book sounds good, when it apparently triggered a month-long funk?
Am I misreading this post?
I think the beauty in optimism is that it is almost required in order to have a chance to do something great.
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I think you hit it Jame:
Optimism that your idea is worth struggling to continue developing, and courage and persistence enough to continue battling the naysayers.
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I vote for back to optimism… with a realist view. I see best through a class half full but knowing it could possibly empty at any time. Keeps the edge for me I guess :). Great post Lief!
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