SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from over 240,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter.
How are you feeling about the coming year?
- Very optimistic: It’s going to be fantastic: 24%
- Good: It’ll be better than average: 23%
- OK: I’m optimistic but a bit nervous: 33%
- Not good: It’s going to be a rough year: 17%
- Terrified: I don’t know how we’ll deal with upcoming challenges: 3%
Optimism for 2019. 80% of you are looking forward to the year with a dash of caution. While market forces and external factors will certainly be one determinant of how it turns out, you have a larger impact than you might believe. Have you gotten your team ready and excited for the year? Have you set clear direction? Are you investing in your business? What actions can you take today to set yourself up for a more successful year? Don’t wait — get the benefits of early actions versus being more reactive down the road. That could make for the difference between a good and a great year.
Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS. Before launching his own company, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He’s the author of three leadership books: “One Piece of Paper,” “Lead Inside the Box” and “The Elegant Pitch.”