Hope = You can do it.
Hope – In the same way, a disciple such as you can never imitate his guide’s steps. You have your own way of living your life, of dealing with problems, and of winning. Teaching is only demonstrating that it is possible. Learning is making it possible for yourself. – The Pilgrimage – Page 163
1. My way or the highway.
One of the greatest things you can do as a leader is offer hope to those who look up to you. So often as people we have this underlying desire to tell people what to do. We have an innate belief that our way is the right way. We will often look at people and think that they aren’t successful because they aren’t doing it the way we did it. So many people see our ways as the right way and other’s ways as the wrong way.
It is so easy to get tunnel vision and believe there is only one way to succeed, there is only one way to arrive at a destination. Time after time when an organization A is successful you will find a mass of organizations copying exactly step by step what that organization A did. It doesn’t work and so they copy the next successful organization and the circle continues.
Humans are the same way we read the current new york times bestseller and copy the ideas in the book and then the next book comes out and the circle goes on and on. Diets are the best example it seems as though every five years a new diet fad comes out and the masses follow it and nothing changes so they go to the next fad and yet they lose little to no weight. I believe the issue is that there is no right way.
2. You are the only you
Unfortunately, it has been proven time after time we invariably will spend our energy and time to become like everyone else. There have been a ton of social experiments that show we will follow the crowd at the cost of being foolish or wrong just to not stick out. Here is one example. We have built a societal belief that there is a one size fits all way of life.
The problem is that we are unique individuals that are completely different from everyone else. No one sees the world the same way you do. The thing that gives you the most value is the uniqueness that you were born with. You have gifts and talents and weaknesses that no one else has and that combination makes you special.
3. Hope is more powerful than directions
Since we are unique individuals there is no one size fits all way to do things. In fact for the most part each of us has to find the combination of habits and choices that work best for us. The greatest thing we can do for people is offering them hope that it is possible.
Hope is a powerful ingredient on this road to a fulfilling life. The very fact that you can say to someone if a person like me can succeed so can you can be the secret to their success. Everyone has to find their own unique path through this journey called life. As leaders, the best thing we can do for people is making a path and encourage others that it is possible. Who are you offering hope to?