October 30, 2026
When the numbers are disappointing, the strategy isn’t working, or employees are anxious about what comes next, optimism can sound like exactly the wrong leadership prescription. After all, leaders need to deal in reality.
But Michelle Gielan, author of Resilient Optimism: The Science of Sustaining a Positive Mindset in Tough Times, argues that this is a false choice. Leaders can acknowledge a difficult reality while still believing their actions—and their team’s—can improve it.
That combination is what Gielan calls “resilient optimism”: a positive but realistic mindset that holds up when it’s tested.
At its core is a sense of agency. Optimists and pessimists can see the same problem, Gielan explains. The difference is whether they believe what they do next can make a difference. And for executives, that distinction isn’t limited to their own perspective. Their teams are taking cues from them, about what to worry about, what to celebrate, and whether a setback is something they can actually influence.
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Gielan offers several ways to strengthen that mindset. When you’re stressed, for example, she recommends treating the feeling as a signal: What does the stress reveal that you care about, and what constructive action can you take in response? When competing demands become overwhelming, triage your work into what has the greatest impact, what still needs to be done, and what can be deleted, delegated, or delayed.
Leaders also shape how their teams process challenges. Gielan recommends opening meetings with positive, meaningful information before moving to the problem; calling attention to progress people may have overlooked; and asking questions that draw out employees who see constructive possibilities but might otherwise remain quiet.
None of this requires pretending things are better than they are. In fact, resilient optimism begins with seeing the problem clearly. The leadership challenge is what happens next.
As Gielan puts it, the question to keep asking is: What is the next constructive, meaningful step?
How Leaders Counter Pessimism in Trying Times
by Michelle Gielan
Harvard Business Review, November–December 2026 (10-minute read)
What Leading with Optimism Really Looks Like
by Shawn Achor and Michelle Gielan
HBR.org, June 4, 2020 (8-minute read)
Research: When Leaders Express Positivity Early On, Employees Perform Better
by Jacob Levitt, Constantinos Coutifaris, and Paul Green
HBR.org, April 25, 2025 (7-minute read)
The Power of Small Wins
by Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer
Harvard Business Review, May 2011 (21-minute read)
