I  have always loved working with military people. Their training firmly builds within them a “can do” mentality and a fixation on mission objectives.

One of the best employee associates I ever had was a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. He could always be depended on to get jobs out the door and focus on billable hours. When discussing business he often said that “Hope is not a valid strategy.”

Hope, when used as a strategy, dooms us to failure because it is so fuzzy. Fuzzy thinking has a place in formulating vision, but it has no place in strategic planning. That facet of leadership demands clearheadedness and cold acceptance of reality.

But that realistic outlook can incline us toward pessimism. I mean, simply looking at the size of a task, the complexity of the issue, or the ingrained habits of a group can overwhelm us. Watching the news does the same thing.

Here are five reasons why hope can’t be a strategy.

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