From the desk of Dr. Tracey C. Jones, Tremendous Leadership
The world may seem like a dark and hostile place at the moment. Our kingdom is under attack—wars rage, economies teeter, divisions deepen. But here's the truth: this has been the case since the dawn of time.
So let me tell you a tale of two knights...
Meet Sir Mount and Sir Render
In the kingdom of Leadership, there lived two knights of equal skill and training. Both faced the same fire-breathing dragons, the same treacherous terrain, the same impossible quests. But their approaches couldn't have been more different.
Sir Mount charged into every battle with his sword held high. When the dragon breathed fire, he didn't retreat—he found another path around. When his quest went sideways (and they always did), he adapted and pressed forward. When others needed rescuing from the tower, Sir Mount was the first to volunteer, knowing full well the climb would be brutal.
Why? Because Sir Mount understood what my father, Charlie "Tremendous" Jones, taught in his perennial bestseller Life is Tremendous:
"Which would you rather be—a miserable, successful motivator or a happy, motivated flop? I would rather be a happy, motivated flop. If I am learning to be motivated, I'll eventually become a successful motivator of others, and be happy doing it."
Sir Render, on the other hand, had a different strategy: surrender before the battle even began. He saw the fire-breathing dragon and immediately catalogued all the ways he'd get burned. He viewed every quest as proof that the kingdom was doomed. When asked to rescue others, he'd list seventeen reasons why it was impossible.
Sir Render wasn't necessarily wrong about the dangers—dragons are dangerous! Towers are tall! But he missed what Sir Mount knew in his bones: you can be happy miserable or miserable miserable, and life is hard for everyone.
The Science Behind the Sword
Here's what's remarkable: modern science now proves what my father taught decades ago. Research shows that optimists live 11 to 15% longer than pessimists and have greater odds of achieving exceptional longevity—living to 85 or beyond. These benefits persist even when controlling for socioeconomic status, health conditions, depression, and lifestyle behaviors.
Studies have found positive correlations between optimism and both physical and mental well-being, including lower risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. Optimistic individuals tend to have more protective attitudes, are more resilient to stress, and use more appropriate coping strategies.
In other words, Sir Mount doesn't just have more fun on the battlefield—he literally lives longer and healthier while doing it.
The First Law of Leadership: Get Excited About Your Miserable Job
My father wrote something that stopped me in my tracks the first time I read it:
"Sure, it's easy to get excited about something I'm not doing. But if I have to do it, and have to learn and grow and plan and persevere—then work isn't much fun. But the First Law of Leadership is learning to get excited about my work, not someone else's. Not the work I'm going to do someday. The First Law of Leadership tells me to get excited about the miserable job I have right now!"
Read that again. Get excited about the miserable job you have RIGHT NOW.
This timeless truth is Sir Mount's secret weapon. He continues:
"And, you know, if I can get excited about it while it's miserable, it's going to be tremendous if it ever gets pleasant!"
Flexible Planning: Expecting the Dragon
Here's where it gets extra tremendous. My father taught something he called "Flexible Planning":
"Do you know what Flexible Planning means? It means: whatever can go wrong ... will go wrong! That's right! And since we know that whatever can go wrong may go wrong at the wrong time, Flexible Planning says: plan on your plan going wrong so that you're ready with an alternate plan because 'That's my plan!'"
Then he drops this bomb:
"Do you know that a lot of people are miserable because they expect everything to go right? They're asking for misery! I expect things to go wrong, and so I'm jubilant all the time!"
This reality is the difference between Sir Mount and Sir Render in a nutshell. Sir Render expects smooth sailing and falls apart at the first sign of a storm. Sir Mount expects storms, packs extra provisions, and celebrates when he stays dry.
My father even suggested this wild prayer: "Lord, send me some miserable problems today." And then he'd laugh when they arrived right on schedule because he was prepared for them.
Which Knight Are You?
Here's the hard truth: we all have a little Sir Render in us. When the news is heavy, when leadership feels impossible, when the dragons multiply faster than we can fight them—it's tempting to lay down our sword and surrender to the narrative that everything is terrible and getting worse.
But you can train yourself to become optimistic. Methods like imagining your best possible future for just five minutes each day have been shown to improve optimism after just one session.
My father understood that optimism isn't denial—it's preparation. Sir Mount doesn't pretend dragons aren't dangerous. He just refuses to let their existence rob him of his joy, his purpose, or his commitment to the quest.
The Choice Is Yours
Every morning, you wake up and choose: Will I be Sir Mount or Sir Render today?
Will you charge into battle expecting challenges and ready to adapt? Or will you surrender before the first sword is drawn?
Will you get excited about your miserable job right now? Or will you wait for some fantasy future where everything is easy?
Will you plan on your plans going wrong—and be jubilant anyway? Or will you crumble when reality refuses to cooperate?
As my father wrote:
"Look closely at these motivators—some reach the point where they can motivate anybody into doing anything and success is running out their ears, yet they are miserable because they forgot to learn how to motivate themselves!"
Don't be that leader. Don't motivate the whole world while remaining miserable yourself.
Choose to be Sir Mount. Choose to surmount every obstacle with optimism, preparation, and a healthy dose of humor about the guaranteed disasters ahead.
Because the kingdom needs leaders who can charge into battle with joy—not because there are no dragons, but because dragons have never stopped us before.
Life is tremendous, friends. Even when it's miserable.
Want to build a team of Sir Mounts instead of Sir Renders?
Dr. Tracey C. Jones helps leaders and organizations cultivate resilient, optimistic cultures that thrive under pressure. Drawing on decades of military and business leadership experience—and the timeless wisdom of Charlie "Tremendous" Jones—she delivers keynotes, workshops, and coaching that transform how teams approach challenges.
Speaking Topics Include:
- The First Law of Leadership: Finding Joy in the Miserable Job
- Flexible Planning: Leading When Everything Goes Wrong
- From Followership to Leadership: Building Tremendous Teams
- Resilience and Optimism in Turbulent Times
Dr. Tracey C. Jones carries forward the legacy of her father, Charlie "Tremendous" Jones, whose book "Life is Tremendous" has inspired millions of leaders worldwide for over 60 years. Learn more at TremendousLeadership.com.
