GRATITUDE

Nov

2023

Gratitude in Leadership

This time of year gets me thinking about gratitude. Some of us this may come naturally, but for me I have to be intentional to focus my thoughts and be grateful.

Gratitude isn’t just a feel-good emotion or a trend that’s come and gone. It’s actually a game-changer when it comes to leadership. When I cultivate an attitude of gratitude, I improve my mindset and well-being, set a positive example for others, and create a more positive and productive work environment.

So, let’s look at how gratitude can positively affect our leadership.

Focused on Present

First and foremost, gratitude helps you stay grounded and focused on the present moment. As a leader, it’s easy to get caught up in the endless to-do lists, deadlines, and challenges that come your way. But when you take the time to pause and acknowledge the things you’re grateful for, whether it’s a supportive team, a loyal client, or even just a beautiful sunrise, you shift your perspective from scarcity to abundance. This mindset shift helps you navigate through tough times with grace and resilience and helps you make better decisions and lead with clarity and purpose.

Strengthens Relationships

Gratitude also strengthens your relationships with your team. You build trust and loyalty when you appreciate your employees’ hard work and contributions. Your team members feel seen, heard, and valued, and they’re more likely to feel motivated and inspired to go above and beyond for you and the company. In a Glassdoor survey they found that 81% of people are more motivated to work hard when their boss appreciates their work.¹ Creating a culture of gratitude within your organization creates a sense of community and belonging, which can combat low morale and create a more positive and harmonious work environment.

Creates A Mindset

Gratitude isn’t just about saying “thank you” every now and then. It’s about embodying a grateful mindset in everything you do. It’s about taking the time to reflect on the positive aspects of your work and personal life, and practicing empathy and compassion toward others, especially during challenging times. Leading with gratitude sets the tone for a workplace where optimism, collaboration, and resilience thrive.

So, where do you start? Here are a few simple gratitude practices you can incorporate into your leadership style:

1. Start a gratitude journal: Take a few minutes each day to write down three things you’re grateful for. This simple practice helps you shift your focus from what’s lacking to what you already have.

2. Express gratitude to your team: Make it a habit to recognize and appreciate your employees’ efforts and accomplishments regularly. Whether it’s a personal note, a public acknowledgment, or a small token of appreciation, these gestures can go a long way in boosting morale and strengthening your relationships with your team.

3. Lead with empathy: When faced with challenges or conflicts, approach them with empathy and understanding. Try to see things from your employees’ perspectives and show appreciation for their efforts and resilience in overcoming obstacles.

Remember, gratitude is a powerful tool that can transform your leadership style and elevate your team’s performance. So, embrace the power of gratitude, and watch as it transforms your leadership and team for the better. Need an extra resource to help you if you struggle with having an attitude of gratitude? Go here for a resource on winning the mental battle with gratitude. Lead Well.

https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/employers-to-retain-half-of-their-employees-longer-if-bosses-showed-more-appreciation-glassdoor-survey/ retrieved 11/22/23

Nov

2022

Gratitude in Leadership

Let’s be honest. As a leader you are under a lot of pressure. You don’t have time to obsess over positive thinking because you are a leader and you want to get stuff done!

You’ve got goals to reach. Deadlines to meet. Teams to lead. People who expect a lot out of you. The pressure can be high and what does this gratitude have to do with leadership.

“It’s your job, just do it. I don’t have to thank you or show gratitude.”

How many of you feel this way? Constantly or maybe just occasionally.

Maybe you know someone who leads you and you can tell he or she feels this way. Could a little bit of gratitude help?

Research

I’m not going to nerd out on this, but I will share a study I found on the effects of gratitude on mental wellbeing.¹ Without going into the details because you can read it yourself, the researchers found five minutes of gratitude meditation lowered heart rates and improved mental health.

Another research study took 300 mostly university students and divided them into three groups. All received counseling services, but only one was instructed to write a gratitude letter each week. After four to twelve weeks those writing the weekly gratitude letter reported significantly improved mental health.²

These two studies (and I’m sure there are more) show gratitude is beneficial. So, allow me to suggest a few ways to apply this to leadership.

Focus on the Opportunity

With every difficulty there is the possibility of an opportunity. Did you know during economic downturns companies such as General Electric, IBM, Disney and more were born?³ This means these leaders must have seen an opportunity amidst the difficulties in society at the time. What helped them see the opportunity?

A choice. They chose to look for the opportunity amidst the difficulty instead of focusing only on the problems around them. What we focus on expands so if we ask where are the opportunities and keep a posture of positive gratitude for what we have we will see possibilities amidst the problems.

Our Thinking Impacts Our Energy

“How we think we feel has a definite effect on how we actually feel physically.” Norman Vincent Peale

It’s been said there are no two good days in a leader’s life. Leaders deal with problems. Are we focusing on how we “have to” do something or do we shift to an attitude of gratitude saying we “get to” do it?

I was thinking about my day one morning and I made that simple shift. I get to . . . This simple shift not only impacted my mood, but also my physical energy. This is a choice we all can make every day. Try shifting from “have to” to “get to” and see what happens.

Gratitude Increases Morale

I hope you aren’t like me and naturally lean toward the critical side. I confess, I am very critical. I must choose to see the positive. When it comes to people I work alongside I find the more I express genuine and specific appreciation it strengthens our relationships and keeps morale high.

As the leader you can be a thermostat. Set the temperature by looking for ways to show gratitude to those you lead. It doesn’t have to be big, but it should always be authentic and as specific as possible. Try it for a week and see how the temperature of your team improves.

Which of these do you need to work on in the next twenty-four hours? Need a tool to assess the temperature of your team? Contact me to learn about The Maxwell Leadership Game which is a great tool to start creating an environment of gratitude. In the meantime, focus on what you are thankful for today. Lead Well.

May

2021

Greatest Generation Leadership Qualities

Storming the beaches of Normandy, fighting battles I have never imagined nor would I ever experience in the same manner. Voluntarily picking up arms to fight in the greatest war the world has ever seen. These were the men and women of what Tom Brokaw called The Greatest Generation.

Years ago I read the book by that title and pulled it off my bookshelf as I was thinking about this week’s blog. In the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers a specific individual of this generation was highlighted for his leadership. As I think of this great generation, I see at least three leadership traits we can learn from them to challenge us.

Honorable

A generation that was exiting the Great Depression, the most difficult time in the history of the United States. Our country was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor and fifty million individuals had registered for the draft with ten million inducted into the military. These individuals wanted to serve their country and fight for freedom no matter the cost. And for many the cost was their life.

These men and women had a moral compass that guided their decisions. This is honor. Major Dick Winters who was highlighted in The Band of Brothers said it well:

“Wars do not make men great, but they do bring out the greatness in good men.”

All leaders are fighting a war, nothing like a world war, but we all have daily battles. When we lead with honor and a moral compass guiding us then each night we can rest peacefully.

Determined

Tom Brokaw writes about Martha Settle Putney who was a young black woman from Norristown, Pennsylvania. When the war broke out she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Corp, the women in the army and this was no small decision. As a young black woman, she blazed a trail and fought many battles for the rights of black women during her time serving in leadership roles in the military.

This determination was not just representative of her, but many in her generation. A thought from this now retired history professor that Brokaw shares captures the determination not only of this amazing woman, but a generation of people:

“Work hard. If you fail, don’t look around for others to blame. Look in the mirror. You have to accept responsibility for your own life.”

As leaders we must be determined and accept responsibility for our choices. Failure is part of the leadership journey. We must have the determination not to quit, but continue working toward the goal and learning from the failures along the path.

Proud yet Humble

While preparing for this I came across a documentary on Amazon Prime about Major Dick Winters of Easy Company. The paratroopers who dropped in behind enemy lines on D-Day. As they discussed and interviewed Winters, I saw a man who represented a generation of leaders.

Winters was what Jim Collins in his book Good to Great describes as a Level 5 leader. Collins describes it as a blend of professional will and humility. Winters demonstrated this with a healthy pride in what he did and was called to, and the humility to know he could not accomplish it without his team. He boldly led from the front but knew that being a strong leader means relying on others.

I would suggest any leader that aspires to grow into the greatest leader he or she can become must have this blend. Pride in what they do and humility to know they need a team. A statement Winters made in the documentary “Hang Tough” says it well:

“Set an example, let them follow you.”

As a leader how are you doing in each of these areas? Take a minute to evaluate the example you are modeling in your behavior, honor, and willingness to work hard even through adversity. Need someone to process this with? Contact me for a thirty-minute no cost to you coaching session. Be a great leader in this generation for your team today. Lead Well.

Nov

2020

Leadership and Gratitude

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.

Oct

2019

How Are You at Leading Yourself?

“A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.” James Allen

Self-leadership. We all have to do it. Whether you lead at the highest level, own your own business or participate in an organization in various roles without a formal position of leadership. Even when we are not at work we have to do this. How are you doing in this area?

Each morning I wake up, somedays before the alarm goes off, but often shocked into reality by music blaring out of my alarm. Then what . . . do I snooze? Do I hop out of bed excited by a new day of adventure? Do I lay there thinking of all I have to do that day? Do I start worrying about the million things out of my control?

It depends.

One thing is certain, my mind is going and the battle is raging. What will be my first thought? After that will I feed it so it grows or dismiss it?

It depends.

For years I was a strength and conditioning coach. My job each day was to get athletes to do what they naturally did not want to do . . . work hard on something they may not have seen the benefit in so they could be better at what they enjoyed . . . their sport.

Mindset is key. Carol Dweck in her research on this topic wrote a book about this topic. She highlights two types of mindset:

Fixed

This mindset believes this is how I will always be and I can never change . . . these are the cards dealt to me.

Growth

A person with this perspective thinks I can change and evolve into a different person than I am today.

Both are rooted in our thoughts which directly impact our outcomes. Anyone who has spent time selling an idea, a product, or a service knows this is true. Whether we have doubt or confidence in what we are selling others will sense it.

Let me suggest a few ideas on how to get our mind set in a direction for success each day.

Gratitude

When I wake up each day even though I would rather lay back down I try to think of at least one thing I am grateful for. That may be “thank you for this new day.” Starting the day with thanks and gratitude will help set our attitude in the right direction.

Set the Agenda Beforehand

I find that if I set my agenda for the day, week, etc. the night before I am not waking up anxious about that day. By writing it down, the tasks and goals are out of my mind and I can reference them when work time begins.

Think Time

Each day as I eat breakfast I read and journal. These may not be habits that work for you, but this is a great way for me to dump yesterday’s garbage and some of today’s poor thinking. I read something that will inspire me to live for more than just myself. For me that is the Bible, but for you it may be something as simple as a quote of the day on a tear off calendar. Taking time to clear my mind of the garbage and fill it with truth is critical to helping me have the right mindset.

This only touches the surface of this issue and in later posts I will dig deeper because as the quote at the top says, our thinking determines our character which impacts our results. Which of the three ideas can you implement to help your self-leadership? Need someone to help you think into your results? Contact me. In the meantime, lead well at work and home.

Nov

2018

Thanksgiving and Leadership

I had to leave the house because I knew I would not be nearly as productive if I stayed home. The boys had school cancelled due to an ice storm and when I work from home with them romping around I am not nearly as effective. I had some meetings scheduled and drove to one of the coffee shops and started working.

My wife had been hard at work at home that day. . . . she is amazing that way. I noticed she had hung some pictures up, organized, but one decoration caught my eye.

“Laugh.”

Right above the towel rack in our master bathroom she hung this word. I don’t think it was a secret message for me, but since then it has served as a great reminder. I see this word every morning now when I wake up and before I go to bed. This one word reminds me to relax and enjoy life.

What this really reminds me is to be thankful. As we move into Thanksgiving week three words come to mind to inform why a mindset of gratitude will help my self-leadership and maybe it will help yours as well.

Perspective. When I choose to be thankful for my three sons, my wife, the house I live in, my body that functions . . . fairly well . . . clothes on my back, food on the table, and more my mindset shifts. I may not have the biggest house or best clothes or a perfect family (who does though), but I have a lot of opportunities and experiences that many others do not. When I maintain the right focus, it puts the petty first world problems I have in perspective.
Positivity. Have you ever met a thankful person who was negative? I am not saying as a leader we wear rose-colored glasses, but might there be an opportunity out of the negative circumstance? I may not get the result I want in a business or family interaction, but if I choose gratitude and look for what I can learn I will be more positive and continue to move toward the goal.
Passion. Gratitude, perspective and positivity all fuel passion. Passion is the desire to continue no matter what obstacles may be in front of us. This fuel enables us to persist toward the goal we are pursuing. I find a direct relationship between how thankful I am and the level of passion I feel. When I fix on the problems instead of pursuing the solutions, I become less grateful and effective.

What about you? How does being thankful help you in your leadership? What is one way you can laugh, be thankful, and be positive to help you lead better at work and home? Lead well and continue with me to grow in gratitude.