In the Christmas classic, “A Christmas Story,” the main character and narrator, Ralphie, has his dad talk him through the changing of a flat tire. A skill every young man ought to have.
During the tire change, Ralphie ends up saying, what is dubbed, “The mother of all swear words.” This word is verbalized, for the listener’s ears, as fudge. I am sure you get the idea of the word.
Four letter words have a stigma about them in our vocabulary. Picking up your vibe, I agree, not as much as they once did. The ‘mother’ of all of them is used profusely in casual conversation of many. This being said, we get a picture when a four-letter words are mentioned.
There is a too often unused four-letter word that needs to be reinstated. It needs to become a key part of our vocabulary. It needs to be used in as many contexts as we can. What’s the word? HOPE!
Hope changes perspective. Hope provides motivation. Hope gives us the inner strength to move forward in the every day. Hope keeps us consistent.
Laurie Cure, founded and CEO of Innovative Connections, says, “Leaders who use hope to navigate challenges are more likely to achieve a desired outcome.” A leader needs to provide hope for those she is responsible for. Without a sense of hope, discouragement becomes the ‘go to’ coping mechanism.
The leader must have hope to instill it in others. Hope is developed in living through adversity. When you have experienced difficulties in life, and have come through them, you understand difficult times can be gotten through. Hope is forged in the furnace of challenge. In most cases you understand that it is the challenges and difficulties that sear hope into your soul.
When leading an organization give consistent glimpses of the future you are moving toward. This gives hope in the mire of the daily grind. When working with people provide them words of encouragement. This gives them hope in the frustration of slow progress. When you are in difficult times remind those you lead of the why. This gives them hope in purpose.
Hope does not, necessarily, change the circumstances. What it does is provide courage through the circumstances.