It was a kick to see Sears new CEO Lou D’Ambrosio talk about the behemoth chain’s future at Tuesday’s annual shareholders meeting.

Why?

Despite the fact that he’s been in the job just two months, and is coping with a steep learning curve (to hear Sears Chairman Eddie Lampert tell it) and considering Sears’ dismal performance these last few years, Lou looked like he’s having a darn good time. So at ease. He answered stockholders questions directly. And then, in a fashion decidedly unSearslike, he would expand upon his answer with….wait for it…specific details!

Sears new CEO Lou D'Ambrosio

In response to my question about missteps in apparel, he looked me in the eye and said, “Let me give you three specific examples…” I was astonished. Shareholders and reporters alike extended courtesy seldom witnessed at annual meetings of struggling companies. Dare I go so far as to say, “warmth”?

D’Ambrosio was appointed Sears Holdings president and CEO on Feb. 23, succeeding W. Bruce Johnson, who was interim CEO three years. D’Ambrosio is not your typical retail chief. He was an “IBMer” 16 years and CEO at telecom company Avaya before joining Sears. He said his get-acquainted meeting with Lampert was scheduled for an hour. It lasted five. They are on the phone evenings, weekends.

He seems to “get it.” And D’Ambrosio’s plan for Sears to get to a better place is to go gangbusters with its already-powerful brands: Kenmore, Diehard, Craftsman, Lands’ End — properties he calls the “envy of the industry.” Sears’ hardlines market share figures back it up: Household Appliances, 30%; Tools, 27%; Fitness Equipment, 23%; Power Lawn and Garden, 20%.

He described, with some degree of delight, the maneuverability of the new Craftsman Turn Tight riding mower that can turn in an 8-inch radius. Then he meandered over to the Kenmore washer-and-dryer pair situated at the back of the shareholder meeting room, to show off something else: the prototype Kenmore Connect system. D’Ambrosio placed his cell phone near the washer to demonstrate how a malfunctioning appliance can be diagnosed remotely by phone. The “smart appliance” emits a series of beeps and chirps transmitted through the consumer’s phone to a computer at the Service Center.

It’s kind of reminiscent of those Aamco TV commercials where motorists imitate the “chunka-chunka….screeeech” sounds of their ailing autos to help mechanics pinpoint the problem.

Oddly, D’Ambrosio didn’t touch upon the trademark infringement lawsuit Sears filed last month on behalf of its Diehard brand. I digress.

Ken Nisch, my long-time, go-to expert on all things retail store design, said the chain has made good strides with its brands over the past year. “Sears has made some significant progress in reinforcing and solidifying their lead in some of their core businesses like Craftsman and Kenmore, as well as revitalizing that store area within Sears,” he said. Nisch is chairman of JGA, a retail design and brand strategy firm in Southfield, Mich.

The 46-year-old D’Ambrosio exudes confidence and optimism but not in so highly polished a manner that makes you cringe. He was once considered the successor to Cisco’s CEO John Chambers, until Chambers extended his tenure. When asked, “What makes you think Sears will survive?” D’Ambrosio responded with two words: underleveraged assets. The power brands can be further optimized to add value; Sears Shop Your Way rewards program launched last year will enable personalized communications with consumers; in-home service visits represent a customer connection point not fully utilized; the MyGofer online order/ store pickup program is gaining traction, now in more than 600 Kmart stores; the Sears.com Marketplace now offers 18 million items for sale; and new fashion offerings geared toward younger shoppers, like the Kardashian Kollection coming out in August, hold great potential.

And real estate. Yes. Real estate.

Sears knows it’s not extracting full value from its significant and flexible real estate portfolio and is more open than ever to partnering with third parties. Sears has lease agreements with apparel brand Forever 21 and Whole Foods, both of whom will move into Sears spaces soon, generating revenue and foot traffic for Sears. In-store kiosks operated by third parties could do the same.

Another reason D’Ambrosio said he is confident of a Sears turnaround: “I changed my life to come here,” he said. The executive, who overcame serious health issues before joining Sears, didn’t elaborate on that comment, but the weight of it hung in the air.