E18. Optimism and Precarity

Boi Carpenter

Welcome back, Inquisitive Leader community. My name is Boi Carpenter. I am a visionary, advisor, strategist, and executive coach, bringing over thirty years of professional experience as an individual contributor, manager, and leader of large-scale teams. I'm also the creative architect of this podcast. It is such a pleasure to welcome those of you who are new and to extend my thanks to those of you who are returning. It has been several months since you last heard from me, as life has been a bit busy. This was going to be my January 2026 podcast. Time has passed but the message still remains. So here we go!

Boi Carpenter

Today we’re exploring optimism and precarity. And I have got to be honest, precarity is one of those words that’s been echoing in my mind a lot. I keep coming back to it, maybe because it captures a sentiment in a way that isn't cliché and it's not another buzzword.

Boi Carpenter

This idea of vulnerability is not just about the individual; it is also a shared truth for everyone as global citizens. All of us, in our own ways, are being asked to transform, to step into a world that’s constantly changing and, well, precarious. And I’ve found that when I allow myself—and my teams—to admit we’re standing on shaky ground, something loosens up. There’s actually relief in it. It gives us a little clarity: “Okay, this is what we’re dealing with. This is real.”

Boi Carpenter

Let me share a quick story. In a team meeting last December, we just... kind of named it. We said, “Yeah, we have been feeling as if we were in crisis, because not everything’s in our control at the moment.” And what happened next wasn’t panic or even resignation. Strangely enough, naming the uncertainty let us get more real with each other—more honest. It actually made room for connection, and from there, we could start dissecting the issue together instead of pretending everything was fine. It’s almost like, by embracing the wobbly ground beneath us, we found something steadier in the way we showed up for each other. I think there’s real magic in that shift.

Boi Carpenter

So, let’s talk about optimism—specifically, how we lead with it. I get a lot of questions about this, not just from leaders and managers, but from individuals at every level. People want to know how to be optimistic without falling into, you know, that trap of toxic positivity where you’re glossing over challenges. Well, I’ve spent the past weeks reflecting on what actually works for cultivating real optimism in a leadership context, and I keep coming back to five practices. I’ll just walk through them, and I promise, I’ll try not to sound like I’m rattling off a checklist.

Boi Carpenter

The first one is: Name what is stable. Not just what’s changing. It’s so easy for our teams—and ourselves—to focus on disruption. But if you can consistently point out what hasn’t changed—your core values, your shared purpose, even the reliable rituals in your day—that gives everybody a psychological anchor.

Boi Carpenter

Second, and I learned this the hard way, is to regulate yourself before you try reassuring others. If I’m coming into a meeting rattled and I haven’t taken a breath or just acknowledged my own nerves, my dysregulation gets contagious. It’s like—have you ever walked into a room and just felt it in the air that something was off? Yes, teams pick up on that instantly. So, before I say anything optimistic, I check in with myself and do the work there first.

Boi Carpenter

Third—this is big for us on the Inquisitive Leader podcast—lean in with curiosity, especially when things get complicated. Ask, “What are we noticing? What’s the next right thing we can try?” Because, honestly, when you invite inquiry instead of easy answers, you open up possibilities and let the team be part of building the solution together.

Boi Carpenter

Fourth: Make contributions visible and meaningful. If you want to cultivate optimism, help people see how what they do actually matters. In my previous job, the Talent Management and Leadership Team sent a thank-you gift to the team members who processed our gifts over the holidays—something that was mission-critical and kept the organization moving. Connecting their efforts back to the bigger picture gave their work purpose and meaning.

Boi Carpenter

And finally—model optimism by participating, not just predicting. What I mean is, optimism isn’t about convincing everyone that good things are coming, it’s about staying engaged. Even when you don’t know what’s next, if you keep listening, investing in your relationships, and showing up with presence, that models real hope.

Boi Carpenter

Now, a couple questions always come up: How do you keep optimism from tipping into denial, or toxic positivity? And, is there really a difference between hope and just naïve optimism? My take is: optimism, when it’s rooted in action and acknowledgment of reality, isn’t about putting a smiley face on problems. It’s about asking, “What can I influence in the context of what I am navigating?” And optimism, for me, means trusting that transformation is possible—even if I can’t predict how or when.

Boi Carpenter

Alright, let’s bring this down to where the rubber meets the road—what does optimism look like in practice, on actual teams? One thing I’ve seen, time and time again, is that optimism is relational—it’s lived out in the way we listen to each other, especially across differences. It’s about creating spaces where folks feel included, heard, and not rushed to oversimplify whatever complex thing’s going on. In fact, when a team’s emerging from a crisis, there’s this huge temptation to just move on, to get back to “normal,” but honestly, tending to the psychological health of the group, letting people process and reconnect, that is optimism in action.

Boi Carpenter

As we all look ahead together—you, me, everyone in this community—I want to leave you with a coaching prompts that have stuck with me: “How will you manage yourself as you move through the rest of the year?” “What do you want to bring to your team? To your family?” “How will you choose agency when things feel unpredictable?”

Boi Carpenter

That’s all for this episode, my friends. Remember, precarity isn’t the end of the story. It’s actually the start of something new if we stay awake, open, and engaged. Thanks for trusting me with your time and attention—you know I love these conversations. Until next time, keep leading with inquiry and keep moving forward, even if you can’t see the whole path just yet.