| “Hope springs eternal” describes an endless renewal of hopefulness – our human tendency to find fresh reasons for optimism.
As leaders and mentors, we bear the power, the platform, and arguably the promise to ignite optimism – to be the beacon of hope, particularly when people are desperate for it. Like now.
How?
1. Provide Perspective.
When fears merge with uncertainties, anxiety escalates into panic. Help balance a pragmatic dose of concern with perspective. Your calm, empathetic, reassuring optimism will spark theirs.
2. Connect Constantly and Creatively.
Social distancing breeds isolation and depression. Intentionally combat this with virtual huddles. Reach for the phone, not just the keyboard. Experiment with FaceTime, Zoom, and other connecting and collaborating tools like Slack and Jabber.
3. Create Future-Focused Conversations.
Schedule calls, meetings, and events for next week, next month, and next quarter. Planning for the future assures there is one.
4. Practice Resilience.
What can we learn from this? How can we move forward together even stronger? Focusing on that which we cannot control is deflating. Focusing on what we can do is empowering – it gives us purpose.
5. Circulate Inspiration.
Subscribe to Optimist Daily (www.optimistdaily.com) for stories to share of hope, inspiration, and resilience (e.g. “Italians are keeping their spirits up by singing from balconies during their country-wide quarantine”)
6. Leverage the Shared Experience.
Humans bond over shared experiences and commonalities. And this pandemic is offering us both. Use it to strengthen your team – you’re in this together!
7. Be of Service.
While we are inconvenienced, many are in need. Serving others feeds the soul, especially in times of crisis. Explore ways to be of service to peers, customers, friends, and strangers.
We cannot be stuck and in action at the same time. When hope springs eternal, people spring into action! |
