Not to be confused with the actual Hope Island in Maine’s Casco Bay or the suburb on the Gold Coast of Australia, both of which are probably great places to live. Living on Hope Island is a state of mind. I first heard the term coined by one of the best sales leaders I have ever had the privilege to work with, Jim Drill.
Many people will have hear the maxim that “hope is not a strategy”. Hope Island is the concept you land on when you unpack it and apply the psychological effects of hope as a strategy. Hope is denial. You are denying that you have any control over a situation. You are also often denying that anyone can help you, and very frequently you are denying the reality to those around you, especially those who are supervising you. In a few short steps what started out with hope can degrade into deceit and cover up.
Good sales and business leadership should constantly as questions. Questions that help sellers to recognize and address gaps in their understanding so that they do not have to become hopeful. It is better to recognize that you do not know something or that something that you need to be true is actually false than to hope it is as you need it. If you have identified the gap or deficiency then you stand a chance no matter how small of changing it. When you allow yourself to hope that something goes the way you need it you have accepted a loss of control and become a passenger.