Spring is here. Vaccination is underway. A year into the pandemic, optimism is in the air. What does all of this mean for marketing leaders? Let’s take a moment to pause and reflect.
- We humans naturally feel more hopeful in the springtime.
- This spring, that hope is merited. This past week, the number of people vaccinated for COVID globally hit four-hundred million.
- We’re not out of the woods yet, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about things, including the economy. Here’s a list of 17 of them.
- Marketers are feeling particularly sunny these days.
- This isn’t surprising. Optimism is a natural mode for marketers. Some see it as the heart of all great marketing.
- Others see optimism as our moral obligation. Especially when times are hard.
- Like any strength, though, optimism can also be weakness. We marketers sometimes believe too much in a better future, damaging our credibility as a result.
- Positive energy can also be tricky in leaderships and culture building. Too much of a good thing and you end up with “toxic positivity“, which can be just as destructive as rampant cynicism.
- If you’re looking for the right balance point, we love the notion of “tragic optimism“. The concept was first defined by Austrian psychologist Viktor Frankl in 1985. The basic gist: there is space to experience both the good and the bad, and we can grow from each.
- How can you bring the right kind of optimism to your job as a leader? There are some great tips here. Unsurprisingly, it starts with showing up and modelling the mindset yourself.
- In very practical terms, we love this simple advice: share every piece of good news.
- In that spirit, here’s some good news from us: even though he can’t spar and train normally, Peter has used this time to focus on developing more precise skills as a boxer. As a result, he’s made real progress with speed, technique and confidence. Check out that form!
