Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

The comic song by Eric Idle for the ending of the 1979 movie Life of Brian can be regarded as a perfect example of the Nietzschean philosophy of Amor fati.

Amor fati is a Latin phrase that may be translated as “love of fate” or “love of one’s fate”. It describes an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one’s life, including suffering and loss, as good or, at the very least, necessary.

People who know me have seen me practice this philosophy in my personal and work life over the years, and it has been immensely beneficial for my mental health.

Amor fati in practice

The ability to promptly receive and respond to bad news helped me deal with job loss so that I have never been unemployed in 40 years despite losing my job three times and having customers breach commitments, which could have resulted in company closure regularly.

Instead of wallowing in collective misery with my colleagues, I focused on resolving my issues as quickly as possible — often driven by the need to replace my source of income to meet my mortgage obligations.

Acceptance of what I cannot change to focus on what I can is also manifest in the Serenity Prayer used by Alcoholics Anonymous.

Amor fati the impact

Customers complain about product or service failures to position themselves to achieve a resolution with compensation from their current supplier or a competitor.

In a situation where my company had sold a multi-emulation terminal to Spanish airline and rail customers, I was greeted as the third project manager with, “Hello, we are going to sue you, and your company will close, and you will lose your job”.

My response was OK, but let’s consider what you want and what we can deliver.

The sales team even gave me the sales commission since I could easily manage the account as well as the project. Six months later, the problem was solved.

The customer sent sweets home to my kids for the next two years.

Our product was more profitable than any other version sold worldwide.

Amor fati tactics

The first feeling when I got the knock on the door for a termination interview was similar to bereavement. The ability to respond with a pragmatic exit strategy produced significant benefits.

When I informed my boss that the banking system in Ireland would close since I had just contracted three banks’ network support and maintenance, he asked me if I would like the business.

When I was informed that my position was redundant and there was one month’s notice, they altered my contract, which had been three months five years previously. I had another job in one month and insisted on managing the transfer of the seven functions under my control to a new manager — so they wouldn’t screw it up.

Amor fati for leaders

As a leader, how you behave is remembered by those you lead. Responses to this blog from team members I have supported have been universally positive. If you cannot lead in the bad times, you do not deserve to lead in the good times.

When you resist acceptance of bad news, you become paralysed and cannot lead your team to an optimal solution.

Companies in the S&P 500 Index in 1965 stayed in the index for an average of 33 years. By 1990, average tenure in the S&P 500 had narrowed to 20 years and is now forecast to shrink to 14 years by 2026

Companies fail because they do not respond to changed market conditions as fast as their competitors. Employees’ careers are two to three times longer than the life expectancy of the companies they work for, so as a leader, your reputation will follow you throughout your career.

Amor fati and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion(DEI).

Many consultants complain that DEI is complex and challenging — which it is if you focus on making minority groups feel included.

I start by accepting the current situation by focusing on all team members to the desired outcome. This allows me to avoid seeing differences between diverse groups and for the groups themselves to collaborate effectively. Minimizing minority differences does not mean treating everyone equally but with equity by meeting their individual needs.

An excellent example of this would be presentism, where long hours at work are seen to be a good thing — regardless of output. This can exacerbate the gender divide as female team members are often excluded from working long hours due to family commitments. Focusing on output and equity can eliminate the reward by misogynistic management for presentism rather than performance.

A similar approach for other team members of minority groups can expand the talent pool available, reduce employee churn, and increase productivity.

Conclusion

Forbes confirms strategic change is challenging, with 70% of change initiatives deemed a failure — the main reason is failure to engage employees.

In 40 years, I have saved over $285m in 20 companies in 26 countries.

Responding and adapting to challenges and change quickly help me achieve this, but more importantly — I always look on the bright side of life.