How To Stay Optimistic, Even In A Pandemic

If you are like most people, right now you are feeling a bit of intellectual and emotional whiplash. Anxiety-inducing words like “pandemic,” “social distancing,” and “quarantine” have taken over our screens and our thoughts.  Our businesses are fighting to survive, and our institutions are challenged like never before in our lifetimes. And most distressingly, far too many people have fallen sick and perished.

Yet this moment, as complicated and concerning as it is, is not forever.  We might never go back to the “old normal,” but the rapid transition to a new (or, at least, “now”) normal will level-off, and the steep curve of anxiety will diminish.  Facts will triumph over ignorance and good judgment will transcend irrationality.

Yes, there are reasons for optimism.

Why, in this difficult moment, should we embrace optimism? Well first, there is the basis of history to remind us that our world has been through incredibly difficult times over the past 100 years. Some of us remember World War II, the social upheaval of the 1960s, and the oil shock of the ’70s as moments when society’s systems and perseverance were tested.  Others of us remember 9/11 and the 2008 Great Recession as times when, like now, the repercussions of unforeseen events in our formative years were hard to get our heads around.

And yet — from each of those experiences our world and our economies became stronger and more resilient. We developed mindsets and systems that allowed us to adapt to the changes around us – to create new ways of relating to one another and new approaches to safeguarding ourselves from similar future shocks. We learned lessons that helped us reach new heights of innovation and endurance — the legacies of which we stand on today.

But more than history, we also know that moments like this can galvanize our sense of community. Paradoxically, even at a time when we are being told to stay away from one another, we feel a greater sense of connectedness to each other.  We are, in one way or another, all in this together. Yes, some of us are going to feel the impact of these days much worse than others. But it is because we are all impacted by this pandemic that we must be optimistic. Times like this give us common cause. They create opportunities for conscientious compassion. They unite us through adversity, even if that adversity is unevenly distributed.

Of course we can focus on the stories of how some leaders have been seemingly blindsided by this pandemic and what has gone wrong in addressing this fast-moving crisis. We can dwell in worry. We can be pessimistic.

But it’s the germs on our hands we need to wash, not our responsibility to be hopeful. We can lead with positivity by sharing the good that is happening all around us. The way neighbors are helping neighbors, and the way businesses and communities are rallying to protect the most vulnerable. We can also take responsibility for being part of those stories — focusing on our instincts of entrepreneurship and philanthropy, not fear.

Unquestionably, this pandemic seems cruel. The fog of uncertainty and irrationality can feel all-enveloping.  However the leadership principles we need to remember couldn’t be more clear:

  • Competence is greater than cruelty.

  • Fellowship is greater than fear.

  • Empathy is greater than irrationality.

  • Helping does more than hoarding.

And most of all, our businesses, organizations and communities can be stronger than the coronavirus.

Now is a time to lead with a positive perspective, grounded in reality but applied with optimism. It might not be exactly the vaccine the doctors (and the rest of us) are desperately seeking, but like a spoonful of sugar, it will no doubt help the medicine of our time go down a lot easier.

And that is how you can stay optimistic in a pandemic.

Seth Cohen