Pop quizâon a scale of 1-10, (10 being high) how hopeful do you feel in this moment? Donât over think it; donât make exceptions for any area of your lifeâSum totalâhow hopeful do you feel?
Now, question 2âhow hopeful is your work culture; your colleagues, team members and your leaders?
Did you pass the quiz? That is, are you happy with the numbers you have come up with?
What is hope? How is it different than wishing or optimism? What does hope have to do with leadership?
According to Shane Lopez, quite a lot.
In his book, Making Hope Happen, he reports that âwhen 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 work. These engaged employees are the products of a hopeful leader. They are more innovative and productive than others, and they are more likely to be with the company over the long haul. Of those followers who said their leaders 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 themselvesâ (p.179).
Do you want to think about the scores you gave yourself and your workplace again? Would you say that youâve given yourself and your workplace a passing grade?
If you havenât, donât despair because hope is a choice and it can be learned. And we have the privilege of learning about hope from Dr. Lopez in our conversation with him this week on Voice America. Join us to learn just what hope is, why it matters, and strategies you can use to bring more hope into your experience.
Hope is contagiousâletâs create an outbreak.
Dr. Meduna earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education from Wayne State College, Master of Science in Community Mental Health Counseling from the University of Tennessee, and an Ed.S. and Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Indiana State University. In addition, Dr. Meduna is also certified in Reality Therapy through the William Glasser Institute, and earned her coaching certification through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching.
Dr. Meduna also currently co-hosts a talk radio show with Margaret Ruff called, Educational Leadership. What else is possible on the VoiceAmerica Variety channel.
