Having Hope

Greetings Leaders,

I recently heard the proverbial broken record from a long-time client. When talking about what the upcoming year was looking like for her company, she said the president had made it clear that the new year would be even tougher than this past year, which had involved massive re-structuring and spirit-breaking prolonged job cuts. The final comment from the president was that it was likely that they would have to get the axe out once again, foreshadowing even more people being chopped from the payroll.

Are you inspired by this vision of the future? I was neither inspired… nor unfortunately, surprised.

It is baffling to me why so many in leadership positions either forget or intentionally ignore one of the most powerful forces they are supposed to bring to the party. And that is hope… genuine hope that things can and will get better. Good leaders also make it a point to communicate why it is worth it to continue the struggle.

How is your hope level these days? Are you hearing anything that is boosting your excitement and energizing you to persevere. As a leader, are you saying anything to inspire others to be more energized or excited? Never forget, that one of the expectations people look for in their leaders is to provide hope.

When I ask people to list 5 things that dampen hope, they usually provide 10. The world is pretty tough these days, inside and outside of work. Although there are no doubt reasons to despair, I wanted to close the year with a more uplifting example.

On April 15, 2019, people around the world witnessed a horrifying sight that left them feeling everything from sickened to utterly devastated. That was the day that the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire, destroying the magnificent wooden spire along with the wooden roof and upper walls. For many residents of Paris and members of the Catholic faith, it was truly a terrible day. How could something so wondrous be so suddenly gone. Despair and hopelessness radiated from the ruins.

Fast forward five quick years to December 8, 2024, just a week or so ago. The mighty Cathedral re-opened – rising from the ashes so to speak. I will not go into details about the restoration here as you can find numerous reports about it online. What I will say is this. Somewhere along the way, hope was restored, and that hope fueled the relentless efforts that led to the Cathedral itself being miraculous restored.

The late leadership scholar (and mentor for me) John Gardner once shared that “hope is the ultimate human fuel.” So, as you truthfully tell people about the many difficulties of today and tomorrow, make sure you include a message or vision of hope. It will give them a reason to fight on and the fuel to never give up.

May your holidays be merry and bright, and the new year be rewarding and fulfilling for you and yours.