Leadership, Teaching and Hope

“ Perhaps the most neglected leadership virtue is hope.”

         ---Segiovanni

On other side of despair is hope.  Realistic hope is not wishful thinking….it is based on understanding the concrete conditions of reality, to see ones own role in it realistically and to engage in thoughtful actions to bring about the hoped-for change. 

 Hope viewed in this manner has an activating effect.  It is hugely important because it mobilizes the energies needed for the activity of transformation.

Leaders, both formal and informal, have an important place here.  If their own hopefulness is based on a set of beliefs and if those beliefs can be shared by others in the school community…. then what has been created is  a powerful force of ideas.

These ideas provide a basis for an entire school to become a community of hope!!

Why…. Because HOPE has an activating effect.

Segiovanni… goes on to say that developing a community of hope elevates the work of leadership to the level of moral action.

Hope provides the fuel that energizes groups and allows for the search for new possibilities…. It stretches the limits of what is possible.

“It is imperative that we maintain hope even when the harshness of reality may suggest the opposite.”  ( Paulo Freire )

Hope is the doorway from one reality to another.

To pull this off leaders, both formal and informal, must concretize what they want to see in reality. 

 I strongly believe this is what Warren Bennis is talking about when he says:

 “ Effective leaders put words to the formless longings and deeply felt needs of others.”

Hope is a powerful force...  does your school community recognize and grow hopefulness??