You will never give someone hope if you do not genuinely believe in them, and you cannot fake it when it comes to having confidence in others.

Believing in people is more than just talk–it is about placing your trust in them. Businessman Harvey MacKay said, “If you wish others to believe in you, you must first convince them that you believe in them.” Leaders initiate hope. Many people have no one around who truly believes in them. They travel through life without anyone to push them on and challenge them to live up to their potential. It is difficult enough for people to believe in themselves when others do believe in them, so imagine how hard it is for someone to believe in themselves when no one believes in them.

Leaders must be the ones who accept the role as a hope-dealer for others. Believing in someone has to happen on the front end of a relationship, not on the back end. Many leaders will only believe in someone if they have proven themselves worthy of it, but people need leaders to believe in them even before they have earned it. Give others high expectations. When you communicate your belief in someone’s potential, they will do their best to meet that expectation.

The best leaders are the ones who give people a great reputation to live up to. Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton knew this principle, which led him to say, “Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”

This is why I have written my new book THE HOPE GIVING LEADER. I want to help you help others. The book is full of some great ideas to equip you with the mindset and strategies to be a hope dealer type leader. I hope you get a copy and enjoy it! By the way…it’s a really small quick read too, so grab one today.