Hope is “the belief that the future will be better than the present, along with the belief that you have the power to make it so.”
Dr Shane Lopez
In difficult times, 'hope' becomes important for leadership. However, for all the good it can do, it can also be misused and become harmful. We often hear that 'Hope by itself is no strategy', so how do we approach it?
Hope must be based on trust and a genuine feeling of possibility. Not the guarantee of success but of the real possibility of success. Something to strive for. Something that we can all engage in.
Hope would need to encompass us all - no easy task. Hope which leaves people behind or sacrifices some for others is a poor motivator.
This isn't about just projecting positive attitudes or confidence alone. It's not platitudes and soundbites. It's all too easy to brush over the difficulties and assert victory in the future. For me, hope creates space for the hard journey, the bumps in the road, for a natural element of doubt, tempered by the belief that we have the ability to work this out.
When we approach a problem with humility and a clear vision and a sense of direction, hope can become something real. If we can accept that the plan won't be perfect, we can accept that we'll need to adjust, adapt and learn as we go along. We can go from having a degree of optimism to working with an evolving reality, dealing with what's in front of us and knowing that we have the ability to work through it. It's natural to feel discouraged at times, but sticking to the vision and being transparent with the challenges as we course correct can keep hope alive.
So the challenge for leaders is to create a vision, a future which doesn't ignore the reality of where we are now, but is still one worth striving for. Help create direction and be ready and humble enough to change course as the terrain changes.
Here's to hoping and working towards a future that's worth striving for.
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