Each year about this time people visit family to eat turkey and enjoy time with one another. Sometimes these family gatherings for people are great experiences while for others they can be tense and awkward. What makes the difference?
Having gratitude.
Gratitude has been defined as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” How can this mindset of gratitude help us as leaders specifically at work.
Helps Us Shift to There is a Way
Leading anything is full of challenge and adversity. We hit a roadblock that feels like a giant mountain in front of us we do not know how to get around. When we hit this what do we do?
At times we think “can I even do this?” We shift to a focus on all the reasons why this will NOT work therefore putting us in a scarcity mindset. There is another option.
Think “how can I do this?” With a mind full of thankfulness at the lessons learned up until now about both what does and does not work, we press ahead. This abundant mindset helps us focus on finding the way even though up until now we have not.
Helps us Empower Others
Leaders work with people and to empower others we must believe in them and their ability. Ken Blanchard et. al. developed the concept of Situational Leadership. In this four-phased model two of the phases in developing others require a high amount of support and encouragement.
Most people will not perform exactly the way we want when they first start and will require a lot of encouragement and gratitude for their effort and progress. Think of the leaders you have had. The ones you worked hardest for on some level expressed gratitude for your work. Gratitude creates an empowering environment which increases productivity and results.
Helps us Boost Team Morale
In their book Switch Chip and Dan Heath discuss the challenge of leading change. One aspect of their thinking involves discovering the “bright spots.” This is locating what is being done right and amplifying it. I would suggest these bright spots can more easily be found when we have gratitude.
As leaders we see the vision of where we want something to be and the result we get along the way often is not it. If you are like me, you tend to focus on all that needs to be improved and unfortunately this can lead down a path of criticism and lack of gratitude. Instead if we focus on the bright spots where things are going well and do more of that work the team morale will increase from gratitude for what they are accomplishing.
I did not even touch on this idea of gratitude in leading ourselves which you can learn about in a digital program I created here. My question for you is how can you develop gratitude as a leader and spread it to your team? Like any change this will take time and persistence, but the payoff will be profound. Keep leading, growing in gratitude, and empowering those around you. Lead Well.
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