The Needs of Followers: HOPE
Romans 15:4,13
The fourth need of followers, as determined by Gallup research from Tom Rath and Barrie Conchie, is the element of HOPE.
In an article on the subject of HOPE, they state, “…the most powerful question we asked employees was whether their company's leadership made them "feel enthusiastic about the future." Sixty-nine percent of employees who strongly agreed with this statement were engaged in their jobs, compared with a mere one percent of employees who disagreed or strongly disagreed.”
The summary of their findings continued with the following statement:
“Dr. Shane Lopez, a Gallup senior scientist, spent his career studying hope. He defined "hope" as "the belief that the future will be better than the present, along with the belief that you have the power to make it so." Instilling hope is an obvious requirement of those who lead other people, not because it's easy, but because it's incredibly important to followers.”
Q: What are your initial thoughts about presenting HOPE as an element of good leadership? Considering the statistics, what conclusions can you make about the importance of having and presenting hope in your business?
Building and/or leading a business is hard. As an owner and senior leader, it’s your responsibility to create a culture of trust, compassion and stability but how do you convey hope to your staff when the economy is crashing? When a competitor has taken one of your best clients? When your industry is at risk of becoming obsolete because of technological innovations and digital automation? When the government is imposing new policies and regulations that impede your ability to reach top-line objectives or protect bottom line margins?
When building a strategic plan, you need to have a firm understanding of the past, a grasp on the present and a view to the future. Your plan needs to be intentional and supported with facts, data, and market intelligence. The plan clearly identifies the steps the organization will take to accomplish its goals. Not having a strategic plan puts you, and your business, at a disadvantage when encountering obstacles and responding to market influences.
What would happen if your strategic plan simply stated, “we will prepare for the worst but HOPE for the best” and contained nothing else?
It’s your job to work “beyond hope” and build the plan of success with longevity for your business. Others are counting on you to know the next steps and to chart the course that will make the difference between thriving or dying. We have heard it before; HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY!
While we all likely agree with that concept, we still know that casting a positive vision of success requires us to share our desires for the business and the people it employs in a way that encourages and motivates.
Consulting Thesaurus.com you will discover the word hope may be like ambition, anticipation, desire, expectation, and faith. All these words seem to have one thing in common; they are all FORWARD looking. They point to a brighter future.
Q: What is one HOPE you currently have for your business or industry? What brighter future are you currently communicating to your team?
As you face and overcome challenges daily it might be good to pause and ask yourself “what is the best possible outcome and where does this fit into God’s plan for me?”. It’s important to remember that everything we do is temporal and everything God does is eternal. We cannot see beyond this moment, but He can.
Romans 8:24-25 (NLT) says, “We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)”
As a Christ-follower we know that hope has more to do with faith than wishful thinking. We put our trust in God and choose to allow Him to lead us in a direction that ultimately leads us to His presence. We hope for an eternal existence and wait patiently and confidently for this to become reality.
In the meantime, we practise the disciplines that keep us in His presence. When we consult God’s word and build our awareness of the Holy Spirit, develop an appreciation for His guidance, and actively apply His teachings in our daily lives our future becomes brighter. We have a hope for tomorrow that starts today!
Consider this passage in Romans 15:4, 13 (NIV):
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope…May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Q: Right now, what issue(s) seems hopeless to you? Is your faith limiting your hope? How can you change your perspective right now and allow God to give you peace today and hope for a brighter future?
Over the past four weeks, we have covered the Needs of Followers.
Trust
Compassion
Stability
Hope
I trust these weekly thought-starters have helped you grow as a leader and Corpath member as you apply the concepts, teach them to others and as you continue to pursue excellence professionally (business), personally (life), and spiritually (spirit).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I praise you for being the ultimate leader in whom I can trust, that gives compassion, who is most stable, and gives me hope! I pray that you would show me how I can do the same for others this week as a way of showing them Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Blessings always and all-ways,
Steve Shrout
President
Special Note:
If you enjoyed today’s message, then share it with someone. Also, use this content and questions as a discussion guide in your next Forum Group meeting.
Attached is a printable PDF you can use to help with your meditation and reflection. I encourage you to print it, answer the questions and then keep it in a Corpath binder or folder for future reference and thought. You will receive a new PDF each week with each new Monday Meditation, and, over time, your binder will become a book representing your own Corpath journey of BUSINESS thoughts, personal LIFE development and SPIRITUAL growth.
