Purpose: The purpose of the article is to call upon educational leaders to consider the forces that hinder hope-giving and to consider viewing their work as inspiring warranted hope among their constituents in situations of well-defined reality. Design/methodological/approach: The author argues that hope is an essential component of leader agency which when unhindered and defined in a multidimensional fashion may be used to transform the experiences of learning communities. Findings: The author argues that leaders who foster warranted hope in constituents will gain transformational leverage to improve educational practice and the experiences of learners and their communities. Practical implications: The author provides leaders with an overview of the utility of a reality-based notion of hope that may serve to legitimate and focus constituent energies and make sense of key organizational challenges. Originality/value: Provides a unique framing and synthesis of the multi-dimensional concept of hope into the context of educational leadership, association with relevant allied constructs, and the challenges of education in the twenty-first century. (Contains 1 figure.)