| "People often say that this or that | | | | situation, they perceive it as a |
| person has not found himself. But the | | | | challenge and try harder." |
| self is not something that one finds. It | | | | At the core of Seligman's findings are |
| is something one creates." - Thomas | | | | the interconnected concepts of "learned |
| Szasz, 20th century American | | | | helplessness" and "explanatory style." |
| psychoanalyst who founded the | | | | Seligman explains, "Learned helplessness |
| 'anti-psychiatry' movement | | | | is the giving-up reaction, the quitting |
| Effective leaders are "unreasonable" | | | | response that follows from the belief |
| optimists. Optimists refuse to live in | | | | that whatever you do doesn't matter. |
| "the real world." They live in a world | | | | Explanatory style is the manner in which |
| of hope and possibilities. They see an | | | | you habitually explain to yourself why |
| opportunity in every calamity. The | | | | events happen. It is the great modulator |
| pessimist sees a calamity in every | | | | of learned helplessness. An optimistic |
| opportunity. Optimists excite and arouse | | | | explanatory style stops helplessness, |
| others to action by helping them see, | | | | whereas a pessimistic explanatory style |
| believe in, and reach for what could be. | | | | spreads helplessness." |
| If you haven't already read Learned | | | | He goes on to cite research that shows |
| Optimism, put it at the top of your | | | | pessimism is a major cause of |
| reading list. Learned Optimism was | | | | depression, inaction and inertia, worry, |
| written by Martin Seligman, professor of | | | | and much poorer physical health |
| social science and director of clinical | | | | (including earlier death). He has also |
| training in psychology at the University | | | | found "pessimism is self-fulfilling. |
| of Pennsylvania. In it, he reports on | | | | Pessimists don't persist in the face of |
| decades of pioneering research he and | | | | challenges, and therefore fail more |
| others have done on the effects of | | | | frequently - even when success is |
| pessimism and optimism, ways to assess | | | | attainable... their explanatory style |
| the degrees of either, and how to change | | | | now converts the predicted setback into |
| a pessimistic style to an optimistic | | | | a disaster, and disaster into a |
| one. His work adds an important new | | | | catastrophe." |
| twist and depth to understanding the | | | | We can use Martin Seligman's ABCs to |
| timeless principles of leadership | | | | assess our explanatory style: any |
| action. | | | | Adversity we encounter triggers our |
| He writes, "The defining characteristic | | | | habitual Beliefs, which determines the |
| of pessimists is that they tend to | | | | Consequences of that situation or those |
| believe bad events will last a long | | | | circumstances. Learned Optimism has many |
| time, will undermine everything they do, | | | | useful assessment tools to help you |
| and are their own fault. The optimists, | | | | understand whether you tend to pessimism |
| who are confronted with the same hard | | | | or optimism and suggestions on how to |
| knocks of this world, think about | | | | become more optimistic. |
| misfortune in the opposite way. They | | | | To see beyond what is to what could be, |
| tend to believe defeat is just a | | | | we need to become "learned optimists." |
| temporary setback, that its causes are | | | | It starts by working with our teams or |
| confined to this one case. The optimists | | | | on our own to "reframe" negative |
| believe defeat is not their fault: | | | | situations and problems by looking for |
| Circumstances, bad luck, or other people | | | | the improvement opportunities buried in |
| brought it about. Such people are | | | | them. |
| unfazed by defeat. Confronted by a bad | | | | |