January 8, 2026

“The first task of a leader is to keep hope alive.”

Joe Batten

 Here we are, 2026, new year, new you; however, many of the same challenges are lurking around. In 2026, uncertainty is no longer the exception for organizations; it is a constant companion. Today’s economic, political, and social environment is best characterized using terminology developed in the 1990s by the U.S. War College as a  volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguousor VUCA  environment. Leaders wake up to this reality every day, no matter what sector they lead in. Leaders are called to face increasing challenges from many fronts. This VUCA environment is where, as John Maxwell says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership .”   In these times, followers are looking to leaders for hope and a vision of moving forward, as much as for plans and performance.

Hope doesn’t clean up messes, but it clarifies and shows a path forward.

People want hope. They don’t want “pie in the sky” promises or dire threats. People want hope. Hope doesn’t clear things up, but it clarifies and shows a path forward. At this time, Nelson Mandela, who knew the power of hope after long years in prison, said, “I am not an optimist, but I am a great believer in hope.” Jim Collins, in Good to Great, wrote of Admiral James Stockdale, a long-term P.O.W. in the Vietnam War, who coined the term the Stockdale Paradox. Stockdale Paradox is a leadership concept that combines unwavering faith in ultimate victory with the discipline to confront the brutal facts of one’s current reality, named after Vietnam P.O.W. Admiral James Stockdale. It advises leaders to maintain long-term hope (they will prevail) while simultaneously facing harsh realities (how bad things are now) without sugarcoating, enabling realistic action and resilience rather than despair. 

“I am not an optimist, but I am a great believer in hope.” Nelson Mandella

The reality is that people want hope from their leaders. This is true today, with its challenges, and has been seen throughout our U.S.  history. Washington was building a newly united country, and Lincoln was trying to reunite a country torn by the Civil War. Franklin Roosevelt addressed the Great Depression and Pearl Harbor, and George Bush did when the World Trade Centers were attacked. It is also true in good times, as well as every day. We all want hope from our leaders. In a 2018 Executive Leadership Podcast, John Maxwell poses three questions any follower has of their leadership

1. Do you know me?

2. Can you help me?

3. Can I trust you?

All three questions ask a leader to give hope to those they lead and serve.

Hope is often misunderstood in leadership discussions as a weak, possible, faint wish for better situations. I have heard the phrase ” Hope is not a strategy. “Interestingly, although meant to be derisive, it is somewhat true. Hope is not a strategy. It is not a plan rolled out when things hit the fan, or a fanciful wish. It is not passive. Hope is as real as leadership is, in action. Hope is a leadership mindset and a pathway of action used by effective leaders at all times, especially in challenging times. This Thursday’s leadership insight shows how hope is a leadership mindset and a pathway to action, using the acronym H.O.P.E to guide action. Hope starts with the leader. In this article, we will discuss H.O.P.E. in the context of intentional, inside-outside growth in one’s leadership practice and share five ways a leader can develop their H.O.P.E. to provide that hope to those they lead and serve.

Leadership today is as much about as McKinsey’s notes being “Human -Centric”, building human sustainability, trust, and resilience, as it is about strategy, structure, and technology.

There are many reasons   H.O.P.E. matters in uncertain(VUCA) Times.

Economic uncertainty, accelerating AI, political instability, and continuous restructuring mean leaders are making more consequential decisions faster and with less clarity.Research by McKinsey on human-centric, inside-out leadership shows that leaders who invest in their inner world, resilience, empathy, humility, and authenticity are far better able to sustain others through disruption.

Several leadership surveys from Developmental Dimensions International, Gallup, and Blanchard Leadership show that, moving into 2026, leadership capability, bench strength, and day-to-day leadership behavior are the top HR and L&D priorities, because these studies cite the connection that the quality of leadership is now directly tied to retention, engagement, and performance.

In this context, John Maxwell’s reminder that “It is the leader’s job to hold hope high” and that “Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present” has never been more relevant. Leaders, as Napoleon stated, are “dealers in hope.”

Hope, however, is misunderstood and unappreciated. Consider hope as a series of leadership learnings and actions, using the acronym H.O.P.E. as a guide to one’s 2026 leadership practice.

H – Helping

O – Ourselves and Others’

P – Perceptions and Perspective  of the Picture moving forward

E – Empathically Encouraging to energize

The leader who wants to apply H.O.P.E. in their leadership must first lead themselves. Nelson Mandela and James Stockdale’s use of H.O.P.E. in dire circumstances demonstrates that H.O.P.E.starts with the leader first  

This developmental sequence matters because leadership is an inside-outside process. Leaders must develop their H.O.P.E. before they can offer hope to others. It is only sustainable when H.O.P.E.is first cultivated within themselves, an inside-out progression echoed in recent McKinsey work and other human-centric leadership studies.

Five Practices to Give Yourself H.O.P.E.

These first five practices focus on a leader helping themselves by strengthening their inner world so they can provide H.O.P.E. in their leadership.

1. Help yourself by building resilient habits

Lorna Weston-Smyth’s work on executive resilience on LinkedIn today emphasizes that resilience is a cultivated mindset, not a fixed trait. Leaders who intentionally strengthen resilience through reflection, boundaries, healthy routines, and learning from adversity create internal stability amid external chaos.

Practical applications:

Schedule non-negotiable renewal rhythms (sleep, exercise, reflection, spiritual or mindfulness practices) as seriously as strategic meetings.

Treat setbacks as information, not identity: debrief “What is this teaching me?” after difficult decisions or outcomes.

2. Own your inner narrative and self-talk

Inside-out leadership research stresses that learning, growth, and self-reinvention start with introspection and awareness of your own assumptions and self-talk. In turbulent times, unchecked inner narratives quickly drift toward fear, helplessness, or cynicism, eroding your ability to model hope.

Practical applications:

Regularly identify and challenge limiting beliefs about yourself and your context; ask, “What else could be true?”

Use Maxwell’s hope lens, “Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present,” to reframe problems into possibilities and next steps.

3. Practice Perspective shifting to clarify the Picture

Human-centric and resilience research both highlight the power of reframing, choosing to see disruption as an opportunity for growth rather than purely as a loss. Leaders who intentionally examine their own perceptions and perspectives avoid tunnel vision and cultivate hope-filled realism.

Practical applications:

In uncertainty, ask yourself three questions: “What is hard? What is still possible? What could become better because of this?”

Seek diverse input and support from coaches, peers, and frontline voices to expand your view beyond your default frame.

4. Empathize and energize

Human sustainability trends reported by McKinsey and others show that many senior leaders are at or beyond their limits, with burnout now a strategic risk. Inside-out leadership emphasizes empathy not only for others but also for self, recognizing limits and needs as part of sustainable performance.

Practical applications:

Notice your own emotional state without judgment; name what you feel so you can navigate it instead of suppressing it.

Replace harsh inner criticism with coaching language: “Given what I know now, what is the next best courageous step?”

5. Anchor to purpose and significance

McKinsey’s work on how leaders develop from the inside out, along with broader leadership research, indicates that leaders who connect daily work to a larger purpose exhibit greater resilience, clarity, and hope. Maxwell’s writings on significance reinforce this: leaders are designed to make a difference, and hope grows when they see that what they do matters beyond themselves.

Practical applications:

Revisit and refine your personal leadership purpose statement at least annually, connecting it to your current context.

At the end of each day, identify one way you lived your purpose in concrete action to reinforce a sense of meaningful progress.

Leaders must first lead themselves. John Maxwell often notes that the hardest person to lead is John Maxwell. This is probably the case for all of us. The use of the H.O.P.E. framework will foster hope that guides one’s leadership practice and serves as a model for those one leads and serves.

The Leadership Question for you then, as you start your 2026 leadrship journey, is

1. Will you choose to

1. Will you choose to use H.O.P.E. to lead those in your organization better intentionally