Tuesday, August 22, 2006, Part 2

"Love hopes all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7).

IDEA: Optimism is crucial to leadership.

PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that Christians have reasons to be optimistic.

How important do you think it is for a leader to be optimistic?

If you were to single out the top three virtues of a leader, would optimism be one of the virtues?

I. Optimism may be the single most important quality in a leader.

Psychologist David Campbell, in a 10-year study, looked at 10,000 leaders in corporate, non-profit, government, military, and academic organizations. He found that people in leadership are consistently more optimistic than others in the organization.

Does this surprise you?

Others have joined in that opinion:

     Tom Phillips (Raytheon) says that "a leader is a dealer in hope."

     Colin Powell has said that "perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."

II. Are people at the top optimistic because they're at the top, or did their innate optimism help them achieve their position?

People in higher positions do have a lot to feel good about.

As a practical matter, though, "soreheads" seldom get promoted.

III. Can optimism be learned?

Secular students of leadership believe that it can be learned.

Those facing adversity should ask three questions:

     Is it permanent? Will it go on forever?

     Is it pervasive? Will it affect all areas of my life?

     Is it personal? Is it my fault?

How can a Christian respond to adversity with optimism? Love hopes all things.

Christians can have a solid basis for optimism.

Do you think that the apostle Paul was an optimist?

On what basis did he maintain his optimism? Did he feel that the "universe is indifferent"?