HOPE!

Hope Theory

What in the heck is Hope Theory and how does it connect to being a courageous leader?

When we hear the term hope, we don’t necessarily associate it with leadership, but recently, the Abeo team has embarked on a journey to better understand this theory and the impact it may have on how we lead. First coined by Rick Snyder, Hope Theory identifies hope as an “on-going, dynamic process” of identifying goals, the pathways to reach those goals and ways to activate agency and collective willpower. 

In looking deeper into the research around the Hope Theory, we are finding that hope is not an emotional state, but  in fact a strategy. "Simply put, hope involves both the will power to act and the ability to find ways to reach desired outcomes." (Snyder, 2002) Hope is a skill set to be learned and developed in order to lead and motivate others to work towards goals. That skill set includes developing will power to act and adapt and the ability to find multiple routes to reach desired outcomes. 

As we think about the role of Hope in courageous leadership, consider teachers and staff who seem resistant, overwhelmed or burned out. Often we think it’s a workload issue, but lack of agency and the power to impact real goals may be a critical factor to those feelings. Let’s think about how we shift those feelings to a place of partnership and possibilities. In a recent blog by Becca Silver, The Three Elements of Hope You Need to Fuel Teacher Motivation, she provides examples of leadership moves that create small wins through inspiring value, ownership and success:

• Instead of pushing compliance, connect the work to what they already care about. Ask:

• • What in this change aligns with their goals for their students?

  • How does this connect to their personal teaching philosophy?

• Instead of selling a prepackaged solution, help teachers build their own pathways forward. Ask: 

• • What are multiple ways of achieving this in their classroom?

  • Where can they take ownership of the process?

• Instead of focusing on what’s missing, highlight past progress and create small wins (and celebrate them). Ask: 

• • Where have they already grown? What’s one small step forward they can take today?

As we continue to explore Courageous Leadership, reflect on how you can employ Hope in developing your own leadership and inspiring others.

WHY POWER!

When the Going Gets Tough, Know Your Why

In September and October, we explored identifying core values as an individual and collectively as a team. We know as courageous leaders, core values connect to our identity and guide our thoughts, words, and actions. They support living into our ‘why.’

Courageous leaders can look to The Hope Theory, which  also draws heavily on the “why.” Recent research calls it the “why power” in discussing hope. It states that the “why power” refers to our sense of meaning, our purpose. Hope is fueled by long-term goals that transform mere tasks into meaningful pursuits. 

We set goals aligned with our identity, the context of the environment in which we live and function, and our belief that we have agency to make the goals happen. This is the “we power” at work.

A courageous leader leads with conviction, understanding the why supports the work when the going gets tough. When we know the “why,” we are more likely to remain engaged and believe we can achieve a goal, especially when challenges arise. We are able to determine new pathways when problems surface because the “why” is clear. A clear “why” is motivating and fosters resilience.

Try it on! Use this Willingness, Goals, and Action Plan to support finding clarity with your “why” and to identify a valued goal, anticipate potential obstacles, and create a practical plan (pathway) for achieving it.

WE POWER!

Inspiring Collective Courage

A courageous leader doesn’t lead in isolation, but understands the power of “we”. According to research inspired by Snyder, “We power’ is interpersonal and connects with our social resources. It relies on social connectedness, the sharing of resources, and the dynamic interplay between social systems and pathway thinking.” Paired with “why power”, “we power” contributes to what is called “hopeful adaptation” which refers to our ability to adjust and thrive when confronted with challenges. 

A school in Northern California was drowning in discipline data and high suspension rates. They recognized that this continued practice of suspension was having a negative impact on their school culture for students, families and adults. It was time to critically evaluate their discipline policy and turn the culture around. 

A small group of teacher leaders began exploring Restorative Practices as a possible strategy to shift culture. They engaged with Abeo in a year-long professional development introductory series on the theory and practice of Restorative Practices to bring back to their administrators and staff. Their collaborative learning experience began to inspire hope. 

Inspired by this initial spark of hope and conversations about the pathways to reach their goal, the teacher leaders and administrators committed to fully engage in Restorative Practices (RP) training and development on their campus. 

With “why power” as their motivation, the Restorative Practices Leadership Team is learning to lean into their “we power”. As a team, they are both motivated and have a plan to reach their goal all fueled by hope. 

After their first year of learning about and practicing RP, they are all in. They are demonstrating courageous leadership and being strategic about the dynamic process of hope. They are finding that individually and collectively they have agency and can turn their hope into a tangible goal with pathways to get there fueled by their “why power”. 

Your turn! Think about your vision and desired goals. Use this problem-solving worksheet from Positive Psychology with your team to move from a problem that stands in your way to creating meaningful goals and the various pathways to get there.