Optimism Is Now an Essential Leadership Skill artwork
HBR IdeaCast

Optimism Is Now an Essential Leadership Skill

Oct 6, 2026 · 29 min

Optimism isn’t about ignoring problems or pretending everything will work out. It’s about acknowledging challenges while believing that your actions can still make a difference. Psychologist and researcher Michelle Gielan says leaders can cultivate that mindset in themselves and their teams and argues that, when they do, it creates a powerful performance advantage. Drawing on an 11-year dataset of…