Hope - light in the tunnel
Want to lead through spreading more HOPE? How may a leader create hope faster? When 10.000 employees were asked - they said they follow leaders mainly when they experience - trust, compassion, stability and hope. The employees chose these words, rather than we could have guessed them to focus on words like – purpose, wisdom, humour and humility. (Gallup research). What may it mean when employees in fact chose the words they did? So, what is this «hope»? Here are 6 aspects of you create more hope:
1)The Gallup methodology is massive interviews
and listing the words those employees say. People want stability in the moment and hope for the future. Followers also mentioned the words direction, faith and guidance. A powerful question Gallup asked the followers were: «wether their company’s leadership made them feel enthusiastic about the future?» 69 percent of employees who strongly agreed with that statement were engaged in their jobs, compared to a mere 1% of employees who disagreed or strongly disagreed.
Instilling hope gives followers something to look forward to, and it helps them see a way forward through chaos and complexity. Knowing that things may be better in the future is a powerful motivator. When hope is absent, people lose confidence, disengage, and often feel helpless.
In my words: They lose belief – and end up in apathy. It is difficult to see the way forward when you lack hope and a vision of a possible solution.
2)Reactive or proactive initiating?
Gallup found that most high level executives spend most time on reacting to the needs of the day – in stead of initiating for the future. They do what needs to be done – in stead of think about what could be done, a proactive goal. Identifying opportunities for the future plays a much more important role in creating hope and optimism. Leaders may spend more time creating more hope and optimism for the future. Leaders that react – show that they are lacking to be in charge and control, but are tossed with by the demands of the day. When leaders choose to initiate, the very act can create hope for the future and eliminate helplessness.
3)Maslow needs and hope
Maslow’s 5 needs are survive, safe, include, respect – and then unleash potential. Hope for common solution and better future is mainly linked to the need of unleash potential and self actualisation. Proactive initiating the direction to a better future.
4)Panksepps 7 primary emotions
Jaak Panksepp describes physiologic and anatomic 7 systems of primary emotions. When we see, hear, touch, smell and taste – these primary senses trigger primary emotions: seeking, rage, fear, lust, care, grief, play. We hope away from pain: fear and rage. We hope for pleasure: We are seeking more lust, care and play – on the way to the future. The two opposite ways may be called – pain, fear – and pleasure, love, compassion, peace, hope. Hope is near to seeking: We hope or seek more of everything that may be helpful in the moment or future.
5)My reflections about hope
is that hope may be something you imagine or your intuition tells you.
Climate-nature solutions have to be based on - just sharing of responsibility and burdens, trust, common solutions, hope, pleasure and joy. Hope is a value near positivity and optimism. «It is light in the tunnel !»
With a hope, a leader need to hit a startpoint of a dream. A hope may be more or less realistic. A more realistic hope may create permanent micro success, so that you jump from dopamine wave to dopamine wave of mastering, satisfaction, joy and motivation for the next step.
When you have hope, you have a direction, and start of a goal and vision.
First a leader has to create hope. Then, to spread hope is to spread enthusiasm and engagement.
6)Belief, hope and love
«And strongest of these is love.»
Belief:
A belief may often be limiting or negative: I am far away from good enough. I have never done it before. You lack to see a solution. You create a belief by combining diverse values. If this and that value – I believe this increases the chance of reaching a new situation or goal. Belief is fixer and harder than hope. Belief is more proven than hope. It is more difficult to prove the chance of a hope will realise - than a belief.
Hope:
is more abstract intuition, positivity and optimism. Hope is loser and more dream like. Hope is to see new possibilities. Hope is part of value and meaning - and near to intention and purpose, direction, vision and goal. There is a link from meaning – to intention – and further to flow, mastering, pleasure states. There are strategies that support a hope.
Love:
is even more diffuse than belief and hope. Love is however very strong. You may apply the force of love and it changes everything.
Do you want to experience you shift brain network to lead with hope, direction, intention and proactiv initiative – contact for a noncommittal session helge.christie@gmail.com
Source for hope:
Rath Tom, 2008: Strengths based leadership. Gallup.
Christie Helge: Kreativ i ekstremvær:
https://www.helgechristie.com/butikk/helge-christies-15-bok-kreativ-i-ekstremvr-e-bok