Friday night, after an inspiring day of conference sessions, I wandered to the hotel bar looking for conversation. (I hate lonely empty hotel rooms.) I was the only customer in the bar, and I don’t really drink, so sales were pretty low there for a bit.

A couple sat down and the woman struck up a conversation with me. As I finished explaining what I was doing in California and what I do for a living, I said “I’m learning a lot and I hope to have many decades to use what I’m learning. I’m excited about the future.”

She told me she was glad to hear somebody who was hopeful about the future. The company where she works is on their 13th round of layoffs or something and the latest round was yesterday. It was done by a consultant without warning, and the owner didn’t show up to explain anything. Her friend who had been let go was so devastated they were afraid she might commit suicide, and called a counselor for help. Everyone in the office is afraid. Afraid to ask questions, afraid of what will happen tomorrow, afraid that people they care about are getting hurt, afraid that they’re going to be next to go, and afraid because their leader is not leading.

I caught a glimpse of how crippling fear is. Nobody wants to take any risk. Nobody can perform their job well. When that company needs every ounce of employee contribution to succeed against tough odds, most of the energy in the company is going to fear instead. I bet the same scenario has been playing out in thousands of offices over the last 18 months.

The devastating effect of fear in her office contrasted in my mind with the encouragement she felt at my simple statement of hope in the future. I remembered something from Dr. John Townsend’s keynote speech at the conference. He said leaders who are good at strategy provide hope to their followers through relationships.

I always knew I loved strategy. I didn’t know strategic leaders provide hope. I didn’t know I could inspire hope in someone else, but I did in the bar and now I see that it happens at work and church too. I feel honored to have that role as a leader because hope is bigger than today and no one can survive without it.

Without hope fear takes hold in forms ranging from acute panic to chronic risk-avoidance to total giving up.

Those of you who lead (and that’s all of you), don’t think like I did that it’s just about good strategy and getting the job done. Through competent leadership you provide hope. It’s powerful and it’s in your job description.

I felt like the most lonely person in the bar that night. I was surprised to find that I was also the most hopeful. I think I have taken the hope I have for granted, not realizing that I have something many people wish they had. I really do look forward to the future because I know God is good and He is generous with me.

Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this. Jeremiah 14:22