Cynicism

“Cynicism is the great bane of all leaders, because it is not only the negation of hope and confidence, but of possibility itself.”  ~ Axelrod (Nothing to Fear)

Last week I spoke to you about the leadership of Winston Churchill and his courage under fire. This week I’ve been catching up on the life and leadership of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). FDR was inaugurated as US President in March of 1933. He led the nation in the aftermath of the stock market crash in October of 1929 and in the midst of the Great Depression. If any nation and any leader had justification for cynicism and negativity - this man and this moment warranted it. And yet, FDR brought people together and inspired people to believe in the possibility of overcoming the difficulties of the moment by confronting them head on - together.

One of the ways that FDR fought against the weight of negativity and cynicism was by bringing people together and utilizing his understanding and masterful use of the powerful and relatively new technology at his disposal- Radio: Between 1933 and 1944 he delivered a series of 31 evening radio addresses (Fireside Chats). Roosevelt used the fireside chats to allay fears and concerns and to keep the American people informed and aware of what actions were being taken on their behalf. FDRs message in his fireside chat of April 28, 1935 included the message, “When you get at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on” which epitomized his ability to acknowledge the difficult, inspire hope and to do something/anything to survive and move forward.

Effective leaders understand that their mood and feelings trickle down through the organization. Cynicism and defeatism from the top is brutal to the culture. It isn’t about false optimism or toxic positivity. These create a lack of transparency, loss of emotional safety, break down trust and add to stress and burnout. Realistic optimism acknowledges ‘the brutal facts’ of reality and applies the Stockdale principle (Jim Collins, Good to Great) of knowing the organization can overcome the challenge and, beyond knowing, provides the action to make it happen.

What can we learn from this aspect of FDRs leadership? Currently we are living in unprecedented times. Political upheaval and unrest are at high levels. Many communities are divided as immigration actions begin to affect their neighbors or their businesses. Multiple states are experiencing environmental disasters and/or their aftermath, such as fires, floods and hurricanes. Political actions from DC are reverberating locally, nationally and globally. How might we as leaders bring people together, face the ‘brutal facts’, inspire hope and begin to act with realistic optimism - together?

“Resentment and cynicism suffocate the human spirit. Choose optimism, and fight for the best possible future you can imagine.”  ~ Lex Fridman