Finding Hope in a Big Mess

There is a defining moment at the end of a recent Netflix romance movie Lonely Planet (yes, I like romance movies, and I like happy endings) in which the lead female character describes the theme of her newly published book.? “It’s about finding hope in a big mess,” she tells the lead male character, opening the door to their reconciliation.?

I loved this line, “Finding hope in a big mess.”

At the heart of our work in education organizations is a hope that we are making a difference in the big, complex, ever-changing, uncertain mess of life—both in the individual lives of our students and in the collective lives of our organizations and communities.? Because let’s be honest, even the best of lives is messy, an unpredictable interaction of random circumstance, flawed human decisions and behaviours, and complex external events and forces over which we have no control.

I have built my career around finding hope in a big mess.? I have worked with thousands of students looking to make changes in the trajectories of their lives.? I have worked with hundreds of organizations looking to do the same.? Some were indeed a big mess, while others just needed some guidance on small adjustments or realignments and some reassurance that they were more than capable of doing the work required.

With everything that I do, I always hope that there is positive impact, even if it is small, to bring hope in difficult situations.? If you don’t have hope as a leader, if you are not optimistic that you can make a difference to your organization and those it serves, don’t be a leader.? It is as simple as that.

Finding hope in a big mess is also a good phrase to keep in mind as we move into the new year.? There is a lot of change coming in 2025: as more than one democracy swings right or towards authoritarianism; as uninformed, bombastic blustering gets airtime it doesn’t deserve to spread misinformation, hatred, fear and chaos; as political instability creates uncertainties in usually stable democracies and economies; as brutal wars grind on; and as devastating famines spread in their wake.? You name it, it is on the horizon for us in 2025.

Now more than ever is the time for leaders to find hope in a big mess.? It is our job to use our abilities and voices to push through the negativity and the chaos—the mess—to make some kind of positive difference, no matter how small.

As 2025 arrives, my wish is that you find hope in a big mess...and that with that hope comes some fun, laughter and enjoyment as well.