Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  May 20, 2025

How Leaders Inspire Hope in Times of Uncertainty

Employees need leaders who do more than manage. Leadership coaches have preached that for years, but a recent Gallup poll confirms it.

According to this recap from HR-Brew, 56% of global adults say their top emotional need is a sense of hope. That makes sense when you consider the nonstop crises employees are navigating. The emotional toll is real, and it’s impacting day-to-day operations, making it more important than ever to understand how leaders inspire hope.

Gallup chief workplace scientist Jim Harter notes that inspiring messages no longer work. So, the question for leadership experts becomes: How do you scale hope? How do you position what’s happening in a way that’s realistic but still forward-looking?

The article highlights how leaders can inspire hope and create meaningful emotional support in the workplace:

• What’s next. It’s one thing to explain what happened that led to a disaster. It’s another to outline what you’re going to do about it. Helping people rally around the next steps can offer hope that the situation is survivable and that there is a way out. Can our content marketing support this reframing? You betcha.

• What you have. The fear that “we don’t have what it takes to recover” is deeply personal and pervasive. Leaders can counter this by working directly with employees to recognize their strengths, build confidence, and close skill gaps. This is why coaching skills are essential for modern leaders.

People want to know 1) there’s a way out and 2) we’ve got what it takes to pull it off. Focusing on this helps position hope as a feasible possibility.

For those who work with leaders, this is a moment of redefinition and an opportunity to reinforce how leaders can inspire hope in practical, lasting ways. Your role isn’t just helping them manage conversations about work—it’s helping them manage emotions so the work can get done.

Now Read This:

• Why the Generalist Leader Is the Future of Leadership
• Strategic Sounding Boards Give Real-World Advice for When the Rubber Meets the Road

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