Over the last few days, I have been sitting with the word, precarity. It seems to sum up so much of what the human experience has been of late without being cliche. It gives me great comfort to have a word that resonates with reality in a beautiful and truthful way.
The context in which I came upon this word was while listening to a conversation with a faculty member. The conversation highlighted the vulnerability of individuals and the world, as well as the process of understanding what it means to be a global citizen. It served as a reminder that transformation is central to our humanity, and we have the power to shape our own future.
The message was uplifting and provided optimism. It reminded me that optimism is a choice. As individuals in interconnected systems, organizations, communities, institutions, and the planet, optimism asks us to recognize our agency without overstating our control. Small actions, taken consistently and with intention, can shift patterns over time.
As leaders and managers, optimism is deeply relational. It exists in how we listen across differences, how we create conditions for others to contribute, and how we resist the urge to simplify or dismiss what is inherently complex. To lead with optimism in times of precarity is to trust that transformation is emergent by tending to the health of the systems in which we exist.
I spoke to a group of leaders a few weeks ago, and we discussed the importance of moving out of crisis mode. We acknowledged that simply stating that we are not operating from a defensive crisis position was liberating. It was important to have that conversation because we collectively hold many other team members, and if we are dysregulated, they will experience uncertainty and possibly fear.
As we move into a new year, optimism becomes an act of love for self and others and an understanding that we can influence the systems we inhabit. It is a way of saying that even in uncertainty, we can choose to remain awake, open, and engaged.
Here are five effective ways to cultivate optimism with your leadership:
1. Name what is stable, not just what is changing.
In periods of uncertainty, teams often over-index on disruption. You can counter this by consistently naming what remains steady. What are your values, purpose, relationships, and shared commitments? Stability, when articulated, becomes a source of collective grounding.
2. Regulate yourself before you attempt to reassure others.
Optimism is contagious, but so is dysregulation. If you don’t tend to your own nervous systems through pause, reflection, or honest processing, you can’t create conditions where others feel safer to engage.
3. Replace “solutions” with curiosity in complex moments.
As an optimistic leader, resist oversimplification and instead invite inquiry, be inquisitive: What are we noticing? What are we learning? What might we try next? Solutions can be built together.
4. Make contributions visible and meaningful.
Optimism grows when people can see how their efforts matter. You can reinforce a team member’s agency by connecting their individual work to the larger picture and acknowledging their progress, however incremental. Your team members want to know that their work matters and serves the mission and vision of your organization.
5. Model hope as participation, not prediction.
Optimism is not about forecasting positive outcomes; it is about choosing engagement over withdrawal and defeat. When leaders stay present, listen across differences, and continue to invest in relationships, they demonstrate that the future is something we help shape together.
Coaching Question: How will you manage yourself in 2026?
Generative AI was used as a tool to co-create this article.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
