Merchants of hope

When you think of what employees want most from their leaders, the usual suspects come to mind: trust, competence, decisiveness, maybe the occasional pizza, and a working coffee machine.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

But according to a global Gallup survey spanning 52 countries, the No. 1 quality that employees say they need most is hope.

Yes. Hope. That four-letter word we usually reserve for lotto tickets, last-second buzzer-beaters, or praying the Zoom link works. But in the modern workplace? Hope is not only relevant — it’s essential.

When I read Gwen Moran’s article in Fast Company, I wasn’t surprised at all. Why? Because in my Level Up Leadership seminars and workshops, I’ve often said: “Leaders are merchants of hope.”

At the time, it sounded like a lovely phrase; a leadership soundbite with just enough poetic weight. But today, in an age where instability and chronic uncertainty are the default settings of our world, that statement has become a lifeline.

Hope isn’t a luxury. It’s a leadership necessity.

Gallup's chief workplace scientist Jim Harter explains it well: “It’s hard to have stability if you can’t see the future.”

The study revealed that 56 percent of respondents wanted hope from their leaders — more than trust (33 percent), compassion (seven percent), or even stability (four percent). That means your team would rather hear where we're going than just be told we're okay.

People are not asking you to solve everything. They're asking you to help them believe that everything can be solved. That's the hope gap, and great leaders bridge it.

Hope is not fluffy. It’s a framework.

Psychologist Rick Snyder’s Hope Theory breaks it down like this: