Musings at Altitude

I’m known by many as the ultimate optimist – I believe any adverse situation will get better and any tough battle will end up in victory. I’m also known by some as an evangelist – I believe in many things and I relentlessly promote those things to anyone that will listen. And I’m known by others as a crusader – I get focused on some idea or some premise and then work incredibly hard to move that idea forward. I’m rarely if ever none of these, and often times all of these. In the most desperate of times, we need evangelists and crusaders. When optimism wanes, evangelism and crusading can reinvigorate it. When evangelism wanes, optimism can re-energize it. When crusading wanes, evangelism can renew it.

I can’t imagine being in business without some combination of optimists, evangelists and crusaders!  So much of business can tear you down – the loss of a key client; the loss of a key team member; the decline of an entire market; the rise of an unbeatable (or so you think) competitor; the unexpected missing of numbers – and it’s very easy to then focus on those things that went wrong.  But it’s the optimists, evangelists and crusaders that can take those things tearing you down and turn them into irrational (or so it seems) exhuberance, creating excitement for what’s to come rather than despair for what there is.  Focusing on those things tearing you down creates that business quicksand – the harder you focus, the faster you sink into despair.  Focusing beyond those things tearing you down and seeing glory beyond the obstacles or challenges brings smiles (regardless of how irrational) and hope for the things yet unseen – the harder you focus, the more you believe.  But it takes that one optimist, evangelist, or crusader to shine light on that horizon and to deflect your attention from that valley below.

In my perfect business environment, I’d have several optimists, evangelists, and crusaders on my team and one or two critics, skeptics, and naysayers.  Every business needs the “doubting Thomas” who has to see and feel to believe.  The skeptic ensures that both the obvious and less than obvious questions are asked.  The critic scrutinizes to the point that you know you’ve covered the tough issues and fully assessed the remotest of possible pitfalls.  And the naysayer gives you the feel good story when all works as or better than planned.  Of course, when all doesn’t go as planned (when does it ever), these very same people launch quickly with “I told you so”, but that too can then be an important point of learning and thus an important positive step going forward.

Ultimately, when I go into business battle, if I’m the optimist, I want the evangelist on my right, the crusader on my left, and the critic, skeptic or naysayer right in front of me.  If someone has to take the business spear as we rush forward, let it be the skeptic!