A Note from Ujima Donalson,
POD Director
It's said that hope springs eternal—but when faced with persistent challenges, it can be difficult to find that wellspring of hope within ourselves. To help you "see the light," we've filled the spring issue of the Leading Edge with optimism and resilience.
I'm delighted that two colleagues from UW Medicine Health System Human Resources, Organization Development & Training have contributed to this issue, director Kurt O'Brien and senior consultant Beth Speck. Read more
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
~ John Quincy Adams
Ask an Expert:
Benefits of Optimism
By Kurt O'Brien, Director, Organization Development & Training, UW Medicine Health System
Why is it that some of us see the glass as being "half full" while others of us clearly see it as "half empty"? After all, we are looking at the same glass, so how is it possible to draw such different conclusions?
Part of this can be explained by understanding that each of us has our own way of explaining events and situations to ourselves, and this way of explanation (also known as "explanatory style") sets the stage for whether we see the situation from a more optimistic perspective or a more pessimistic one. Read more
“I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.”
~ Winston Churchill
Reframing Adversity
By Wendy Shepherd, ALFAB Services
Optimism at work is an important skill, and one often cited as essential for leaders navigating change. The ability to negotiate changing priorities and realities and shift your mood—and that of those around you—requires leadership and skill. Optimism will improve your outlook on your own performance, allow you to provide safe places for your employees to grow, and help with healing in times of trouble.
Sigmund Freud believed that our "default position" is unhappiness, and so it's no wonder that it can be easier to look at the darker, negative side of situations. The good news is that optimism is a trait that you can develop, learn, and pass on to others. Read more
“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.”
~ Theodore M. Hesburgh
Leadership by the Book
Beth Speck, Senior Consultant, Organization Development & Training, UW Medicine Health System
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Engaging, entertaining and thought-provoking, The Happiness Project chronicles a year in the life of author Gretchen Rubin, who realizes one day that—although she is happy with her life—she is not as happy as she thinks she could be. So she decides to spend the next year seeing if she can, in fact, behave her way to more happiness. Although Rubin's book doesn't target any particular group, I believe it offers a number of powerful take-aways that could help UW leaders maximize their effectiveness. Read more
“An optimist is someone who goes after Moby Dick in a rowboat and takes the tartar sauce with him.”
~ Zig Ziglar
Optimism: Tools & Resources
Here are some books, websites, and POD offerings to help you cultivate optimism in your life and at work.
Books:
- Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities by Paul Stoltz
- The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by The Dalai Lama
- Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D.
- The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
- Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D.
- Optimism: The Biology of Hope by Lionel Tiger
Read more
|
