Hope Is a Strategy (and a Choice)
I’m a West Wing fan, and I often rewatch episodes as my default entertainment.
I’m drawn to the series for Aaron Sorkin’s writing style, which he describes on The Interview as optimistic, idealistic, and romantic. I personally find it more restorative to unwind watching positive, feel good shows vs. darker ones.
By recommendation of my sister I’m reading the book, “What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service,” and it makes me appreciate the show even more.
That’s because at this time in our world and in my life, I am longing for bright spots. I’m seeking hope. I need examples of people who are earnest and committed to doing good in this world, just like the characters in the West Wing. Can you relate?
My quest for hope has been fueled by a central question I’ve been living with and exploring since the start of the year: How do we make choices for ourselves and move forward in a complex, imperfect world?
In asking this question, I quickly realized that there have been many groups over centuries who have done just that—made choices for themselves and their lives within limiting structures and have moved forward, often pushing on those very systems, to pursue and make progress on their ambitions or for the collective good.
In my exploration, I’ve been drawn to research and conversations about agency, innovation, “progress,” experimentation, optimism, moral ambition, and doing good in this world.
It’s also why the West Wing book resonates with me. It shows how service was central to the show and its cast members:
“From the start, a commitment to service was in the bones of The West Wing, in its DNA. It was the ethos of a show designed to be, in the words of creator Aaron Sorkin, ‘a love letter to public service.’”
“A family of smart, committed, but flawed patriots who cared deeply about America and the world beyond its borders.”
That spirit of service reminds me of what my recent podcast guest Adam Russell (anthropologist and long-time government public servant himself) said, “A broken system is actually an invitation.”
It’s an invitation to push against existing structures and step into our agency, the degrees of freedom within which we can act, to nudge the system in a better direction.
My latest podcast guest has done just this—Jen Fisher was the first Chief Wellbeing Officer at Deloitte where she pioneered groundbreaking approaches to human-centered work that gained national recognition. Now she is founder and CEO of The Wellbeing Team and the author of “Hope Is the Strategy,” which we discuss.
Jen has been pushing against workplace norms since her wake-up call after burning out and living through breast cancer, which she generously writes about in her book, being vulnerable with her story. Jen’s voice is an important one, and I was honored to have her on the show to discuss:
Why hope is a leadership skill, and not just wishful thinking
What sustainable performance really looks like
How to challenge workplace norms that no longer serve us
And more
Hope isn’t always easy to hold onto. Negative news stories can amplify our worries and lead to feelings of hopelessness, but falling into nihilism isn’t helpful. So how can we move forward?
Jen offers a few suggestions, such as:
Recognize that we can make change and do our part, because “if not us, then who?”
Push against habits and working norms, starting with ourselves. Consider where you can embrace and also encourage your team to practice with new ways of working for more sustainability.
Challenge your own definition of success and shift your personal reward system.
Watch for hope-killing language and instead embrace a question that Jen loves to ask: “Given where we are, what’s still possible?”
I’m continuing to search for inspiration that pulls me toward hope and optimism even though it’s hard to rest there. That’s informed some of my upcoming podcast interviews and ongoing research. Because just like Sorkin’s writing does, my hope is that it will steer me toward what Lincoln called (and Sorkin borrowed) “the better angels of our nature.”
As you live and work this fall season, maybe you feel like you, too, could benefit from embracing hope and reflecting on Jen’s question: Given where you are, what’s still possible?
As I sit with that question myself, I realize my answer simply is: a lot. A lot is still possible. And that is where aspirations and ambitions can take root, not just for ourselves, but for our families and communities, too.
Here’s to hope, optimism, and embracing good ambition.
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Sustainable Ambition offers a strategic approach for pursuing our professional and personal goals in a way that is motivating, meaningful, and manageable from stage to stage, rather than be all consuming in a way that compromises other important aspects of our lives or sacrifices our well-being.