Gratitude in Leadership…

…Is it worth your time?

Does your work life sound like this… on the phone while you are heading into the office? Running from your bedroom to another room to jump on a Zoom meeting? Powering through back-to-back meetings? Putting out fires on urgent issues almost every day? Responding to emails from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed? 

If any of this sounds familiar to you, you are not alone.  As leaders, you have so much going on that you barely have time to breathe, let alone eat lunch. 

Considering how busy you are, my encouragement might seem counterintuitive, but hang with me for a minute. I challenge you to stop for 2 minutes in your day, every day, to simply think about what you are grateful for. Your initial response may be, “I don’t have time for that!” But, as a leader, the challenge to focus on gratitude is a worthwhile addition to your “to do list” for the positive impact it can have on both you and those you lead. Let’s explore several benefits to being a leader who shows gratitude: 

• Deepens relationships

  Expressing thankfulness can actually craft mutual understanding and respect between you and those around you. It strengthens bonds and plays a  meaningful role in relationship building. 

• Fosters belonging and unity 

  Think about what happens when you thank someone in your organization for working there and for bringing their gifts, abilities, and talents to your team. You are building a caring culture that empowers those individuals to continue doing what they do best, and pointing out their value to those around them also. 

• Improves mental health

  One thing we can all agree on is that being a leader is stressful. It’s not an easy job. However, being grateful can actually decrease stress and anxiety levels. It’s easy to complain about the things we need or don’t have, but shifting our perspective can build happiness and peace. 

• Builds empathy

  Gratitude can build your empathy and create a heart that is open to others. When you approach interactions looking for things to be grateful for, it enables you to become a more active listener and creates a culture of trust where others feel comfortable coming to you to talk. 

• Sets a great example

  As a leader, your goal is to always build leaders. I often say, “build the next person to take your job.” By living out gratitude in leadership, it showcases to others how to be successful in their future role as a leader. Remember, everyone is watching you as the leader, so why not be that great example and encourage your team to appreciate each other too. 

I like to conclude my articles with a call to action. Today, I would like to take my initial challenge a step further and ask you to go to someone in your organization and simply thank them for something. It could be as simple as saying “thank you for coming into work today, I truly appreciate you” or telling your supervisor, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead.” Taking this small, important step will lead to more opportunities to express your gratitude and honestly, it will make you feel good.  

After you do, I would love to hear about your experience! Simply share this article on social media, tag me, and share what you did. You will inspire me and others to show gratitude each and every day.