Rhondalynn Korolak, Author of "On The Shoulders of Giants"

Rhondalynn Korolak, Author of "On The Shoulders of Giants"

 The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.   William Arthur Ward

I was reminded of this brilliant principle last week when I spoke to one of my business coaching clients.  There can be no doubt that we are living in interesting times…. the global financial crisis has impacted overall spending and consumer sentiment – and this has hurt many small businesses around the country.  It’s no good hoping that circumstances will change – in order to survive we all need to dig deep and find creative ways to work smarter not harder.

Jim Collins, in his book, “Good to Great,” talks about this very interesting paradox that he calls “The Stockdale Principle”.  According to Collins, “you have to be realistic about your current situation and yet, stay optimistic about the future”.  

General Stockdale was the highest ranking American prisoner of war in Hanoi, Vietnam. Over the years he began to notice an interesting phenomenon – optimism could in fact be a liability.  His fellow prisoners (who were the eternal optimists) constantly set themselves up for disappointment.  They set huge milestones – “we will be rescued by Christmas” – but those milestones came and went year after year and with it… their will to live.

 

Conversely, the prisoners who looked at the painful day-to-day reality they were in and channelled their energies to the right places survived. This is not to say that the second group were pessimists but rather realists that maintained an unwavering faith in the end game, and a commitment to survive despite the brutal fact of their incarceration and torture over a period of years.

Here’s how Stockdale put it in his own words:

I never lost faith in the end of the story. I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.”

 

How many of us would look back on seven years of detention – with regular torture, dismal living conditions and an uncertain future – as an experience we would not trade?  Do you regard the greatest obstacles or challenges in your life as the defining moment that shaped who you are today or do you choose to look at them as an excuse or reason why you have not achieved more?

Have you ever sat back and thought how this distinction between optimism versus reality could apply to your business/career or your life in general?  Where in your life are you ignoring reality in favour of being optimistic and missing a crucial opportunity to take action?

Take for example my business coaching client that I mentioned above.  She has an employee who doesn’t take responsibility for her actions, doesn’t pay attention to details and is often defensive and reluctant to take direction and feedback.  This employee is negatively impacting the entire work environment as everyone gets caught up in the drama of it all.  My client doesn’t want to let the employee go and is resisting doing what she knows that she must.  She hopes that it will somehow improve without any action on her part – she is now learning the distinction between reality and optimism.  When she sees the difference for what it is, then and only then, will she become decisive and take action.

Another area where it’s easy to be blinded by optimism is in the financial arena.  Do you have detailed financial reports, KPIs and cashflow forecasts in place to drive your decision making or are you simply relying on your optimism instead of reality?  Failure to effectively plan in this area (especially in these tough times) could lead to a cash crunch and the demise of your business.

Take a moment today to examine your relationship to optimism, pessimism and realism. Success belongs to those who operate from both sides of the Stockdale Paradox.  The key is balance – knowing when to accept reality and take appropriate action AND never losing faith in the end of the story.  If you can walk this delicate line of balance and responsibility, you increase your odds of making good decisions and this will lead to your inevitable success and breakthrough results.

In life, we will all experience setbacks, disappointments, loss and challenges.  What separates successful people from the rest is how you deal with those inevitable struggles.  This is a very important distinction and it is what divides the winners from the losers. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which is something that you can never afford to lose sight of — with the discipline to confront the brutal facts and reality of your current situation, whatever that might be.

 

ImagineeringNow
About The Author
Rhondalynn's life changed forever after the loss of her mother due to a senseless tragedy in 1992. She decided that despite her formal training and a promising career as a lawyer and chartered accountant, she wanted to do something more. So despite the fact she had already invested 10 years of her adult life in university and articling, she did the unthinkable. She left her high paid job as Commercial Manager for one of the largest corporations in the country, she re-trained herself in the sciences of the mind and she discovered a passion for writing and sharing her knowledge with business owners and executives. Rhondalynn has distilled the secrets to business success - that she learned from her life experience and working in GM level roles with Price Waterhouse Coopers, Max Factor, Village Cinemas, and Coles Group Ltd. - and produced a simple step-by-step process that you can apply to your business to boost your sales and bottom line. Rhondalynn can help you put strategies in place to grow your bottom line and ensure that your customers would never think of going elsewhere. She is the leading expert on harnessing the power of your brain and using it to improve your financial results in business. Rhondalynn is the author of On The Shoulders of Giants, Imagineering Your Destiny, Sobre Hombros deGigantes, Financial Foreplay®, and Sales Seduction. She has appeared on CNN, Bnet/CBS, Channel 7, Channel 9, Kochie's Business Builders and 3AW, and writes for Yahoo, MYOB, Fast Thinking, Sunday Life, Dynamic Business, Business Spectator and Australian Retailer.

6 Comments:


  • By Christopher Reid 07 Sep 2009

    Yeah. I’m gulty of both, being overly optimistic or pessimistic at times. I do hear what you say when being present to reality. I’ve notice that I generally feel good when I make decisions based upon facing reality, e.g, when I need to put some immediate cash in my pocket, I do a temporary day job that pays at the end of the day.

  • By Nance Rosen 07 Sep 2009

    You are singing my song – confront the brutal facts first. Then, let positive illusions work their way from the end you desire back to the reality you are facing. When something awful happens the worst thing you can do is pretend that something awful didn’t happen. It did. Let it and your feelings crest over you and then – only then – get on with your journey. Often I have to say to myself, “Anyone who just had this happen would feel the way I do – if that person was normal. So, hmmm. I’m normal.” Then, I get onto the problem-solving, getting the tools and support I need to overcome the obstacle – and most often go around it, and get on with the business, career and life I want.

  • By oligida samuel 07 Sep 2009

    wow! i m inspired today. i ve being an optimistic person but now i ve to strike the balance btw optimism,pessimism & realism. u ve taught to be a raelistic person inoder to succeed in life. pls i need more of this lecture.
    thanks & God bless u

  • By Katherine Sullivan 08 Sep 2009

    You certainly deserve a round of applause for your post and more Specifically, your blog in general. Very high quality material.

    • By rhondalynn 12 Sep 2009

      Thank you Katherine – you are too kind. I am glad that you are enjoying the blog – feel free to recommend any writing/posts that you see in your travels that are of high quality. I am open to receiving posts from other authors in order to ensure that this blog remains vibrant, relevant, useful and purposeful.

      A bit of myth-busting and controversy is a good thing! 🙂

  • By Michael L 27 Oct 2009

    Every mistake I have made in business has led to the position I am in today. In that light, I see my mistakes as lessons and blessings. I have been following a similar mantra to that of your article, for quite a while now. For me it is important that I stay confident, focused and know when to quit.

    I think a common mistake that failing businesses make is flogging a dead horse out of pride or optimism, the best discipline I ever learned was knowing when to drop a project, cut your losses, reflect and move on.

    I have always criticised optimism! I think in business one should act realistically and analyse pessimistically. To be honest, I feel the GFC is a great opportunity for creative and entrepreneurial minds to stand out.

    I like your blog, I found it by accident, I’ll keep reading!

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