The Role of Hope in Leadership

Do you feel hope at work?

2​025 Gallup Workplace research found that across the world's adult population, the vast majority of respondents said the most positive leaders in their lives provide them with a sense of HOPE. The other three of the top four responses were Trust, Compassion, and Stability. But Hope was the overwhelming favorite, with more than half of the respondents writing it into the open-ended question's answer field.

When people follow leaders who provide them with HOPE, their ability to thrive increases and their feelings of struggling and suffering decrease.

And once you have a foundation of hope, if you add trust and stability into the mix, rates of thriving increase yet again. But only if hope is the foundation.

We look at this data and need to acknowledge what followers are telling us pointblank: People want to be given a sense of hope from their leaders at work. But they don't want false hope, or empty promises, or manipulative rhetoric -- they want authentic, sincere hope. They want leaders to show them a path toward success. They want leaders who truly believe a positive outcome is feasible -- and are clear in their plans detailing how we can achieve it together. They want leaders who are optimistic about the future and are confident they can do good work together. They want leaders who work hard to communicate a clear vision to their team and instill a positive mindset in everyone they work with. They want leaders to show them that together they can prevail, and be resilient, and tie a sense of purpose to their work. That there is a reason to feel motivated and excited, that they can feel fulfilled and purpose-driven. That as a result of their work, something good will happen.

'Hope' doesn't mean 'naive.' Effective leaders can instill hope in a realistic way. The best leaders can energize and engage teams on a deeper level while also providing action plans that build trust and prove progress in small, meaningful ways over time.

Hope can come from two directions: now and the future.

Finding Hope in What Exists

Analyze what exists now and recognize what's going right. Tie those traits or skills or projects to potential outcomes in the future and provide context into why you feel optimistic about what's yet to come. Since hope and looking at the future can seem abstract, find ways to make it concrete. Note tangible outcomes. Be specific with your language. Be clear about next steps and the connection between now and the future. Keep your team on track by praising what's going right and aligning efforts to your shared goal. Maintain communication throughout, and help your team members feel optimism for themselves.

Finding Hope in What's Yet to Come

Begin with setting a vision for the future. Communicate that vision and bring your team on board. Then, craft an action plan that helps you achieve that vision. Each time you make progress and get a little closer to your goal, celebrate. When market conditions or shifts in demand pull you off-course, find ways to redirect your team and rally them toward your vision once again. Explain why you think the vision is attainable. Be explicit about why you feel this team can add unique value and achieve this goal in particular. Your passion may be contagious, but even if it isn't, your team members still need to feel the hope themselves. Help them feel that they are contributing to tangible outcomes, that your team is being rewarded for any progress made, and that your ideal vision is getting closer and closer in meaningful, concrete ways. Your team need to feel the hope themselves. Empathize with them and explore ways for them to experience optimism from their unique perspectives. Have them share what they're hopeful about with the team and why this hope isn't empty--why their feelings of hope and optimism are rooted in fact. Motivate around the lofty vision but keep your team on track with the concrete work along the way. Hope will come. Embrace it when it does.

Questions for Reflection:

• How can you instill hope in your team members -- authentic, actionable, realistic hope?

• Where do you need more optimism at work?

• How can you be that ray of light for others?