Pessimists see problems as stemming from stable and universal causes, thus making them less susceptible to corrective action. Optimists, in contrast, view problems as temporary and resulting from specific factors that will either change or be changed.
Rosabeth Moss KanterConfidence is the sweet spot between arrogance and despair-consisting of positive expectations for favorable outcomes.
Rosabeth Moss KanterChange is like putting lipstick on a bulldog. The bulldog's appearance hasn't improved, but now it's really angry.
Rosabeth Moss KanterChange masters are - literally - the right people in the right place at the right time. The right people are the ones with the ideas that move beyond the organization's established practice, ideas they can form into visions. The right places are the integrative environments that support innovation, encourage the building of coalitions and teams to support and implement visions. The right times are those moments in the flow of organizational history when it is possible to reconstruct reality on the basis on accumulated innovations to shape a more productive and successful future.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter