“A leader is a dealer in hope.” —Napoleon Bonaparte
Hope changes things! If you have ever met anyone that is living without hope and then finds it then you know firsthand the difference that hope can make in a person’s life. The same is true in leadership. The simple four letter word H-O-P-E is often the difference maker for us as leaders and for the people that we lead. When leading during difficult times one of the most significant accomplishments that can be achieved is the establishment of hope, giving people a reason to continue on, a reason to sacrifice more, a reason to follow, a reason to believe in your next decision as a leader. Without hope there are countless reasons to give up and honestly, for most, only one will do when giving up.
If you have been a leader for any length of time then you know that in the role of leadership you will unavoidably be faced with some difficult, dark, and discouraging situations. In those moments as the one that everyone is looking to for help and direction you have the opportunity to stand above the fray. You can draw men’s hearts and emotions to that which can be or you can shrink into despair and fumble the opportunity that stands before you to lead through hope.
Either way, we communicate loudly as leaders with every action we take and with every word that we speak. One single ill-advised action or word that inadvertently drains hope from those that follow us as leaders has the potential to distort and destroy lifelong relationships, the momentum and drive of the organization or group that we lead, and holds within it the potential of extinguishing the vision and dream of all that lies before us just around the next bend.
Leading with a doctrine of hope changes the way we lead, changes how people respond to our leadership, and places us on solid ground moving forward as a leader and as an organization.
LEAD THROUGH HOPE!
Pray from a foundation of HOPE
Shape your beliefs with HOPE
Think through the lens of HOPE
Plan & Strategize bent toward HOPE
Recruit others with the vision of HOPE
Communicate with the attitude of HOPE
Work with the effort of HOPE
Evaluate everything with the HOPE of what can be
LEAD THROUGH HOPE!
On Mission Together
Craig Ratliff
unbrokenresolve.com