Weaving in Hope: Leadership in Uncertain Times
At the start of the year, I spend time setting intentions for the months ahead. While I explore these in a personal context, inevitably they shape and inform my world of work.
Hope is a word that has been in my mind a lot.
On a day away from work recently, I visited Killerton (a National Trust home near Exeter) to see The Red Dress on display. It was breathtaking — one dress, 380 different women embroiderers from 51 countries. The detail was extraordinary; the vibrancy danced from the fabric and illuminated the room. I took so many photos, wanting to spend time looking closely at the detail, and have ordered the book for the same reason. So many images and words resonated, but most particularly the word hope — embroidered two or three times.
Hope is a word that has long been part of our lexicon at CoLab, and two years ago the retiring Bishop of Exeter spoke of CoLab as “the bearers of hope in Exeter.” Now more than ever, that is a flame I am committed to keeping alive at CoLab. At times of such widespread anxiety, volatility, and uncertainty, hope is essential. Hope is a practice that keeps our work human, connected, and forward-looking. It is both an act of imagination and an act of responsibility. As Rebecca Solnit writes, “Hope is not a prediction of the future. It’s a declaration of what we believe is possible.” And that “to hope is to give yourself to the future — and that commitment to the future makes the present inhabitable.”
At CoLab, our work takes place in complex systems and challenging times — at a moment of increasing demand and diminishing resources — and the path ahead can feel uncertain. In this context, hope is not naïve optimism. It is a disciplined, sustaining practice — a leadership approach that enables us to hold possibility for ourselves, our teams, and the communities we serve.
When we choose to remain hopeful despite the challenges, it is an act of defiance and an act of agency — choosing to act, not withdraw. Hope begins with agency: the inner decision to believe that our actions matter. Leaders who act with hope do not deny the scale of the challenge; they keep choosing to move forward, however small the steps.
Hope is a deliberate act. It is the quiet, steady work of orienting ourselves and others toward what is possible, even when the path ahead is uncertain. In times of challenge, when resources feel scarce and needs feel overwhelming, hope becomes one of the most courageous things a leader can practice.
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul —
and sings the tune without the words —
and never stops at all.”
— Emily Dickinson
Welcome 2026.
Fiona Carden, CoLab CEO