VDM Gohrke, D: The Role of Hope in Leadership

John W. Gardner's statement, "The first and last task of a leader is to keep hope alive," contains two assumptions: (a) leaders are somehow responsible for the hope of other people, and (b) leaders are capable of keeping hope alive or allowing it to die. If true, in what way and to what extent are leaders responsible for the hope of others? Three leaders of nonprofit organizations were studied to understand how hope functions in the performance of leadership under challenging circumstances. Eight themes emerged: (a) values, (b) education, (c) justice/social justice, (d) fear/faith/courage, (e) authenticity, (f) mission, (g) social capital, and (h) leadership. Real hope in leadership functions as integrity, sacrifice, and courage and is manifested in concrete actions. Hope is experienced in the shared pain and suffering, as well as the love and joy, found in community. Ultimately, leadership and hope are not things; they are relationships. Hope is kept alive through caring relationships. One leader said it best, "It can't just be in me. I'm too little. You know-hope is already there [in community]. It's in the connection that hope is kept alive."