Keep Hope Alive

The ReLeaders Secret Weapon

If you have ever raised small children, you know the painful experience of long road trips, and the never-ending shouts from the back seat, “Are we there yet?” Their hope and anticipation for the destination keep them longing for a quick arrival. Anyone who's been in the game long enough knows that leadership often comes with long road trips too. You're waiting for the team dynamics to solidify, for cultural changes to take root, or for financial indicators to finally give you a breather. Of course, there are moments along the way in which destinations are reached, battles are won and goals are met, but too often we are met with more screaming from the back seat than rejoicing.

As a ReLeader, you are driving a vehicle that you didn't build, through a landscape that you didn't choose, among passengers you didn't necessarily invite. So how do you keep everyone from despairing? How do you sustain the team's spirit when the "destination" seems like an ever-receding horizon?

The Lifeline of Hope

Enter hope—the great equalizer, the force that sustains us through the most grueling of circumstances. The wisdom in Proverbs 13:12 nails it: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (NIV) The original language paints a vivid picture. “Deferred” in Greek (māšaḵ), is translated to mean, "dragged out." I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried to lead during a season where everything seems “dragged out and delayed,” but the Proverb is spot on. It is exhausting and heart-wrenching when hope seems out of reach.

The magic of hope is in its ability to push through the boundaries of what is, to the promised land of what could be.

Hope is a captain

Hope is the captain of courage and an author of success. When you have a culture filled with hope, you have a culture willing to try new things, risk failure, and push toward greatness. They know the captain won't abandon ship when the storms come, but rather will guide them safely to the other side.

Hope sees

Hope sees what is invisible, feels what is intangible, and achieves what most consider impossible. This is the innovative spirit you want in your organization. When challenges come up, a hopeful team is more likely to approach it with a "how can we solve this?" attitude rather than a "why bother?" mindset.

Hope shouts

Hope shouts keep going when all evidence shouts quit. In a ReLeader situation, this is gold. You may be handed a script of previous failures, skepticism, and lost enthusiasm. The loud chorus of evidence might be shouting for you to quit, but if you can instill hope, that whisper will grow into a shout saying, "Keep going!"

Hope Keeps

Hope keeps your organization moving forward and anticipating a brighter future.

So how does a ReLeader go about providing this Hope-Injection?

Transparency: Be open about both the challenges and the progress. Share the victories, however small, and be upfront about the setbacks. Transparency nurtures trust, and trust is the soil where hope grows.

Future-Oriented Vision: Paint a vivid picture of what success will look like, not just at the endgame but also along the way. Break it down so the team can see and feel each stepping stone on the path to success.

Empowerment: Allow your team members to take ownership of projects. When people feel empowered, they are more hopeful about the outcomes because they know they have a stake in it.

Celebrate: Take time to recognize both individual and team achievements. Celebration fortifies the culture of hope, reminding everyone that their efforts are valued and impactful.

Adapt and Adjust: Flexibility is a good friend of hope. Be willing to adjust your strategies and tactics but keep the end goal clear. It’s the balance of steadfastness and adaptability that keeps hope robust.

God’s Not Done with You Yet

Isn’t that the ultimate injection of hope? To know that God is not done with us! Elijah was going through a mental breakdown in 1 Kings 19. He was exhausted, isolated from relationships, experiencing suicidal thoughts, and ultimately, had lost all hope. At the mouth of the cave, God whispered to Elijah, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” God had an assignment for him. He told him to go anoint Hazael king over Aram, Jehu king over Israel, and anoint Elisha as his successor. Ultimately, God was saying to Elijah, “I’m not done with you yet.”

As a ReLeader, you're not just a fixer; you're a grower, a nurturer. Part of you keeping hope alive is showing that each person in your organization has a God-given purpose in the organization. You're not just repairing what's broken; you're planting seeds of what could be. And nothing fertilizes those seeds like hope. So go ahead, inject that hope into every corner of your organization. Because at the end of the day, hope isn't just a strategy; it's the essence of transformative leadership.