How hope-based leadership will lift us from our state of fear
Nelson Mandela with one of his famous quotes “may your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears” – provides the inspiration we need right now to step into hope-based leadership to overcome the current state of fear experienced by many due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
People are afraid. More afraid than ever before. However, this is a message of hope. A reminder that humankind operates more effectively when supported by positivity, courage and hope. Leaders operating at all levels currently have an opportunity to apply hope-based leadership to inspire the growth of people and lift the current focus beyond the immediate fear associated with the pandemic. This will need to be a conscious decision made by leaders, to step into hope-based leadership and move away from fear-based leadership that has been so visible throughout the pandemic. It will require leaders to be highly self-aware, facing their own fears and choosing to lead from a place of hope and possibility, not fear and restriction. The complexity and skill required to achieve this should not be underestimated, as hope-based leadership is going to needed in high-dosages to lift us from our current state of fear.
What is hope-based leadership?
Hope-based leadership is a style of leadership that inspires people in uncertainty, when leaders actively elevate the focus of people beyond the current state and get them thinking about the potential for a brighter, safer and more positive future. The leader uses empathy, care and understanding to actively spread messages of hope to the people they lead – and in doing so, empowers the people they lead to take an active role in shaping the more positive future state. This creates space in the minds and hearts of people, for them to reimagine and create a better future. As people start to take this action towards creating a more positive future state, they draw on the lessons they have learnt during the period of uncertainty – becoming more confident, strong, and resilient, and more likely to overcome the adversity associated with the uncertainty they have experienced.
How can I demonstrate hope-based leadership?
If you are leading people, it is great that you want to explore how you can engage with hope-based leadership. It means that you want to create a better future through your own leadership and example you set for others. It is a courageous step for a leader to take, as at this time of uncertainty it is almost easier to lead by fear – particularly when many other leaders are doing so.
The best place to start in exploring hope-based leadership is to take the time to examine your own fears. This will help you to create the space and plan in your own mind, about how you are going to step into hope-based leadership. We have developed a simple and FREE online tool, that can be downloaded from our website: Hope-based leadership tool
Guidance for using the Hope-based leadership tool
My Fears – What am I afraid of? Check in with yourself first. What are you afraid of? It is OK for you to have fears, it means you are human. If there are things causing you fear – find ways to deal with them directly. Many people who are operating using a fear-based leadership style are doing so because conversely, they are afraid of something. They then project their own fears onto others because they have not taken the necessary steps to process and resolve their fears. A great way to understand your fears is to discuss them with a person you trust, explaining that you want to better understand what you may be afraid of. If this person you trust knows you well – they might be able to point out some things to you they have observed when you have been afraid, that you might not even be aware of.
How are my fears impacting me? Think about how your fears could be impacting you. Is fear motivating you to take a certain action that may be counterproductive to what it is you are trying to achieve? For example, many people who experience certain phobias will often engage in often irrational and counterproductive behaviours. By making these things conscious, you are more likely to raise self-awareness and gain a better understanding of the powerful impact fear is having on your own behaviour. Additionally, it will assist you to gain more control over the fear – often by just writing it down it can help to make you feel more in command of the emotion itself.
How are my fears impacting others? This is a great way to fully appreciate the impact your own fears may be having on your broader environment. For example, if you have a fear of “making a mistake” this may be associated with imposter syndrome or someone who has strong perfectionistic tendencies. As a leader, your fear of making a mistake is likely having an impact over the people you lead. Fear in a workplace like this acts as a contagion – with your team quickly catching your fear of “making a mistake”. Without having any awareness of your own fear and the impact it is having on others, it is likely spreading undetected in your work environment and having negative impacts that you may not be fully alert to.
How can I turn my fears into hope and opportunity? Firstly, acknowledge the fear. Once you have identified what is causing you fear and the people you are leading, call it out and explain that it is perfectly OK for people to be afraid. It is normal for people to experience the emotion of fear. Once you acknowledge it then you can seek to move forward from the negative experience of fear and start to use the emotion in more positive ways, for example as a motivator to shape a more positive future. Look for opportunities in the environment. When leading people through challenge and uncertainty, it can be easy to forget that there are always opportunities or silver linings to connect people with to provide hope. This is the starting point for any leader looking to step into hope-based leadership.
Nelson Mandela also once famously said – “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it” – and we cannot triumph our fears without first being fully aware of them and the impact they are having on us and others. This is the opportunity we currently have – and challenge for leaders operating at all levels to step into hope-based leadership. In our current state of fear and the negative impacts associated with it, hope-based leadership will help us to shine the light towards a much brighter future. This is an opportunity we cannot ignore.
