In Making Hope Happen, Dr. Shane Lopez tells us:
“When people have a boss who makes them feel hopeful about the future, they are more committed to their jobs. Specifically, when Gallup asked followers whether their leader at work (typically a manager) made them enthusiastic about the future, of those who said yes, 69 percent were engaged in their jobs, scoring high on a measure of involvement in and excitement about their work. These engaged employees are the products of hopeful leadership. They are more innovative and productive than others, and they are more likely to be with the company for the long haul. Of those followers who said their leader did not make them enthusiastic about the future, a mere 1 percent were committed and energized at work. These disengaged workers are a threat to business, coworkers, and themselves. They not only fail to make meaningful contributions; they undermine the hard work of others, and they are likely to me more physically and mentally unhealthy than their coworkers. And, for good and bad, it is somewhat likely that they won’t be with the company one year later.”
If you are a leader who inspires hope, you get 69% engagement. Nice! If you are a leader who fails to inspire hope, you could be getting a paltry 1% engagement. Yikes! That is a difference of 68%, so let’s get to work inspiring hope in those around us.
Remember: hope = goals + agency + pathways.
