Looking for Signs of Hope

The four cornerstones of a successful business are a sound mission, inspired leadership, core values to guide the work, and quality offerings. But one of the intangible ingredients that bind these four corners together is hope. Of course you also need talented employees and plenty of capital. Still, if you don’t have hope nothing else really matters.

Like optimism, hope is contagious. Hope inspires the creative spirit. It spreads like a warm blanket to comfort and revive weary workers. Hope gets us out of bed each morning and drives us to work. It keeps us going during times of stress and causes us to work against all odds to accomplish the impossible. Or to simply trust that tomorrow will be a better day.

I think there should be a person in every organization responsible for keeping hope alive. Hope Coordinator. How about Director of Hope? Leaders who plant seeds of hope and optimism regarding the economy, employees, customers, and their products and services are working to ensure that the future will be bright. They are banking on tomorrow by depositing good emotional juju today. Spreading doom and gloom won’t help your organization. You gotta have hope.

It is the darkest time of year, yet everywhere I turn I see hope. I see it on the faces of employees who share their hard earned pay with those less fortunate. I see hope when business owners strapped for cash pony up for new chairs for their employees. I see hope when I spot a sign announcing a new business opening soon. I see hope on the faces of employees who are yearning to make a difference in their organizations. I see hope when leaders take a chance and invest in their people or in their organizations despite facing financial setbacks over the past year.

Hope against hope – that is what inspires me. Hope is what, despite all odds, drives people to greatness.

Hope you have a great day! I hope we win the contract. I hope they like my presentation. Sure hope things turn around in the first quarter. I hope I make it on time. I hope I make it. I hope.

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