One of my good friends likes to say: “Momentum is a powerful force” – which means when you’re on a roll is the best time to capitalize on success.
You see it in sports all the time: when the defense forces a turnover in football and the quarterback immediately takes a shot at the end zone… in baseball in the bottom of the ninth, when two runs are in with a man on, the crowd is roaring and the next batter launches a walk-off home run… in basketball when Stephen Curry knocks down a couple of 3’s and you know the next time down the court he’s going to swish another.
Similarly, Colin Powell believes, “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”:
“The ripple effect of a leader’s enthusiasm and optimism is awesome. So is the impact of cynicism and pessimism. Leaders who whine and blame engender those same behaviors among their colleagues. I am not talking about stoically accepting organizational stupidity and performance incompetence with a ‘What, me worry?’ smile. I am talking about a gung ho attitude that says, ‘We can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best.’ Spare me the grim litany of the ‘realist’; give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.”
Whether it’s the energy of cheering fans charging the atmosphere, the delighted smiles on customers’ faces justifying all the hard work you put in, or the subtle nods of team members acknowledging your insight and conviction, the momentum of success will jettison you forward toward even great results.
