Research consistently shows that stress and loneliness are rising across nearly every demographic.
The side effects of this stress and loneliness can show up both personally and professionally. Sometimes, prolonged pressure can lead to a sense of hopelessness about the future, which drains people of the agency needed to reach goals.
That's why Dr. Chan Hellman, a professor of social work at the University of Oklahoma, director of the Hope Research Center, and co-author with Casey Gwinn of Hope Rising: How the Science of HOPE Can Change Your Life, says that one of the most important gifts we can give others is hope.
We tend to think of hope as a feeling — a vague, passive sense that things might get better (“I hope someone finds a cure for [name a disease] someday.”). But Hellman’s research tells a more precise and actionable story. Hope, in the scientific literature, has three interconnected components. First, goals — a clear and desirable picture of a better future. Second, pathways — the belief that there are routes to get there, and the ability to imagine and navigate them. Third, agency — the mental energy and willpower to pursue the journey, even when obstacles arise.
As a leader, you can create the type of environment that combats hopelessness and gives your team the hope needed to keep working towards goals.
- Communicating a compelling vision of a better future gives people something to hope toward.
- Treating each person as a valued individual — not merely as a resource to be deployed — gives people the dignity that sustains hope.
- Creating space for people to share their ideas and concerns gives people the agency that hope requires.
In this recent article published by SmartBrief on Leadership, Connection Culture Group's Michael Lee Stallard takes a closer look at why giving hope to your team matters and how the principles behind a Connection Culture can help.
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
