Hopeful Leadership - It's All About Character

The Foundation of True Leadership

Gallup’s most recent study (Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want, 2025), which is based on surveys conducted in 52 countries, building on decades of research into what people expect from their leaders conclude that, “more than anything, the data confirm that followers need a sense of hope from their leaders.” This is no surprise. Whatever the industry or enterprise may be, for-profit or not-for-profit, people are faced with an ever-growing sense that we are no longer in Kansas anymore and that significant challenges loom ahead. Things are getting more uncertain and dismal, and the fabric of our society seems to have reached (or passed) its breaking point in many areas. In a word, people are feeling hopeless. It’s not that hope has been deferred; it feels like it has been destroyed; it no longer exists—no wonder the leaven of nihilism and fatalism is rising in our world.

Albert Camus once said, “where there is no hope, it is incumbent upon us to invent it.” As leaders, we have a significant role in inventing hope.? But what does that exactly mean?? How do we generate and advocate for hope with honesty and authenticity?? And what is this hope we provide for and point people to?? At its root, hope is about the anticipation and expectation of something, the looking forward to what will be, and the confidence and faith of what has been stated or promised will come to pass. Hope points to a better future, something good and ultimately longed for. I hope to get married one day … I hope I can find a better job … I hope my friend gets healed of cancer … I hope I have a safe flight … I hope our world will be a safer place for my kids … I hope that all that is wrong in this world will one day be made right … I hope … A sacred text states: “we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4). I can see how suffering can produce perseverance, and perseverance produces character, but how does character produce hope? And how does this inform and shape how leaders in our day and age are to be agents and ambassadors of hope? Understanding this dynamic is critical to how leaders serve as catalysts of hope. Character embodies and expresses one’s attitudes, convictions, and behaviors. And good character is not defined by suffering but refined by it. It believes, whether the pain and trials continue, grow or disappear and then return, that it does not have the final word - something better and good can flourish and come forth. Qualities like integrity, resilience, kindness, empathy, courage, patience, humility, vulnerability, wisdom, and joy emerge. This character becomes a signal and demonstrates that hardship and adversity can be overcome, resulting in better outcomes. And our natural world is bountiful with examples of this - a block of coal becoming a diamond, a caterpillar emerging as a butterfly, an oyster producing a pearl, volcanic lava forming fertile and lush land, and the Lotus flower flourishing from muddy and murky waters. It’s the paradoxical belief that what is experienced as a death, brings forth a new form of life and vitality. As leaders, if we want to engender hope in people, our character (lifestyle) needs to model and demonstrate hope's workings, which can only be forged through the furnace of trials and challenges. This transformative power of character development can empower and motivate leaders. Character provides the firm foundation upon which we can then engage in specific skills and capabilities such as:

• Creatively communicating an inspiring vision for a better and stronger future that meaningfully motivates and mobilizes people;
• Empowering people to contribute significantly to the cause, leveraging their gifts and passions, and instilling a sense of agency;
• Providing safe and caring environments where people experience belonging, affirmation, validation, and trust;
• Training people on the dynamics of change, adaptability, and innovation.
• Shaping a culture of hopeful realism that does not slide into toxic positivity, annoying optimism, or an attitude of que sera, sera. ??

Ultimately, hopeful leadership is not about dynamism, charisma, and bringing out the pom poms. It is about character—the unwavering foundation of all other leadership capabilities. Leaders embodying a hope-filled presence in an era marked by unprecedented uncertainty and fears can serve as a source of hope, helping people journey toward a brighter future worth believing in. If you want to discuss your journey to becoming a hopeful leader further, let’s connect.?