Leaders walk a tight rope. A thin crumbling edge.

On one side is the abyss of negativity. On the other side is the crevasse of foolish optimism.

Take your realism a step too far and you’re leading people over an edge of defeat and discouragement. A few steps wrong the other direction, and you lead your people into a fantasy world that will also crash and burn.

Maintaining this balance is some of the most difficult but important work of leadership.

Paint a beautiful and imaginative Van Goghesque image of the change that can be and what the future might look like.

And do this while keeping a watchful eye on the spreadsheets.