Article
02 March 2023, 3 min read

Can hope be our strategy?

Hope can be very powerful, but it can also lead to false or misplaced optimism. How do we get the balance right?

The other weekend I got sucked into watching Mission Impossible - please don't judge me, it was late and I was tired! :-) I wasn't paying much attention, until one of the characters said:

"Hope is not a strategy."

Suddenly I was wide awake - not because I was gripped by the action or the riveting storyline - but because it gave me inspiration for this blog.

I often wonder why the messaging around climate change doesn’t get the traction we need, especially when a high proportion of the population are concerned and have made changes to their lifestyle.

Collectively however, we are not moving at anywhere near the scale or the pace required to avoid catastrophic consequences.

Is it because the warnings from climate ‘doomsters’ are too frightening for us to hear?

• Some people have hope because they fundamentally believe that things will always be ok
• Some people have hope because they choose not to believe the warnings
• Some people have hope because they think we humans are adaptable and innovative. They assume we will invent our way out of this mess, and while we wait for this new technology to save us, we can carry on as normal.

The problem is, believing this and having hope feels better than listening to reality.

Hope is more palatable

And with all the chaos and stress of everyday life, it’s no wonder so many people lean towards hope and zone out.

This is why Mission Impossible, of all things, got me thinking.

Maybe hope SHOULD be the strategy

Perhaps we need to talk about the reality, underpinned with hope; making the message more inspiring and motivating.

Is that how we inspire action?

Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."

Aldous Huxley

What do you think?

What if we take hope to the next level? When hope moves from being individualistic to being collective, it becomes a movement.

One of the most powerful things we can do is talk and connect to one other. Obviously we need to do more than talk, but that’s where all movements begin. My mentor and friend Nick Haines often says that every conversation has the potential to change us.

Let’s have those hopeful conversations.

...how hope works. It doesn't come from downplaying scary truths or from false optimism...Instead, it comes from hard work, from solidarity, from courage.

Hope comes from joining together and doing something.

Hope comes from action."

Peter Kalmus, Climate Scientist working for NASA

Of course, there's another hopeful conversation you could have.....with me. Those of you reading this, itching to step up and stand out. Keen to reconnect with your purpose and bring your team and brand in alignment with it.

For those of you who want to do more good and tell the world with integrity you ARE the good guys, I am here.

Let’s chat!