What do people need from leaders?
Gallup asked two questions in a recent survey:
1] What leader has the most positive influence on your daily life?
2] Now, please list three words that best describe what this person contributes to your life.
The results fell into four themes:
Hope.
Trust.
Compassion.
Stability.
“Hope stood out as the dominate need, accounting for 56% of all attributes to positive leaders.” -Gallup, February 2025
This research wasn't a surprise to me as the link between resilience and hope is rooted in research, both quantitative and qualitative. I hear stories, observe symptoms and stressors of individuals and teams experiencing what is often described as despair or depletion.
What is needed?
[RESPAIR] the return of hope after a period of despair. - author unknown
When I share this word there is most often a quiet moment and solemn nods. Then they say, “Finally, a word that describes what we need”.
They unwrap the woven-in word despair, with what they crave: REPAIR. Though for the team members, craving REPAIR and creating the forward work needed are two different things that they often don't feel empowered to activate.
They can only hope their leader doesn't fall for a band aid fix to a problem. Maybe a new program to make people behave better. Possibly dismiss the issues because they don't know where to start. Or settle for this is just the way it is, it's how we do things.
Hope thrives when we create opportunity and safe environments where conversations are clear and kind, identify where things are broken, what needs tending to, and gives space to dig in, to start the repairing, restoring that leads to hope. Culture shifting strategies.
Respair is anchored in hope. Hope of future experiences that positively influence daily living, even when the experience is a challenging one.
As leaders, how you and I lead and listen during challenges [AND THE EVERYDAY MUNDANE ENCOUNTERS] determines the future. Are we creating hope or hopelessness in those we influence?
Where to start?
1] Self. Reflect on Gallup's questions:
-What leader has/had the most positive influence on your daily life?
-Now, please list three words that best describe what this person contributes/contributed to your life.
2] Others. Reflect on your environmental impact:
-How am I positively influencing others I lead, work beside, encounter?
-Those three words of contribution you listed above, how can I be contributing those to the people I influence/encounter?
I'm here to partner in creating sustainable hope!
Sandy
To offer hope, we need to have hope ourselves.
We don't have to go it alone.
Set up
your no cost
Discovery Call with me to see if a conversation to explore options might be the next step. Together we can create a pathway to fuel you, a team you lead, your personal wellbeing forward towards goals and outcomes that emerge leading, living, and loving with greater hope.
Resources to Build Resilient Hope!
[Coaching Options]
[one to one sessions. professional or personal focus. single sessions and packages available]
[this unique format to team development and growth includes a whole team system of individual sessions and group sessions relevant to the needs and goals identified by the team]
[Team Training Options]
Interactive team development uniquely designed for those participating to practice strategies that build stronger teams and resilient cultures in the middle of change, challenge, and even conflict. click here.
[Event Speaking]
Topics designed for your conference, workshop, podcast, or retreat that weave practical strategies with stories of resilience that offer renewed hope and steps forward when we get stuck.
click here.
Someone shared with you and you want to get the table chat directly to your in box?
Degrees in Community Health and Organizational Leadership combined, have uniquely equipped Sandy to engage with a whole system lens and hope for collective transforming whether it's an individual, team, organization, family, or community she's partnering with! Visit our website for more information.
