Why Leading With Gratitude Is More Important Than Ever

Photo by alleksana on Pexels.com

Gratitude is not a strategy. It is a way of life. It is how you see the world around you. It is how you see yourself. It is how you do your work. It is how you treat people. It is how you face challenges. Above all, gratitude is a way of saying, ‘Life is great, no matter what!’

According to Adrian and Chester, ‘A lack of gratitude is a form of stupidity. It leaves on the table an enormously powerful tool not only to inspire people to reach their potential, but to actually better understand the true nature of their contributions.’

Developing genuine gratitude involves carefully observing what employees are doing, walking in their shoes, developing greater empathy, and sincerely trying to understand the challenges they face.’

‘Developing respect is about helping others grow and supporting people who make honest mistakes. It includes sharing the credit and absorbing blame when needed.’

‘When the right behaviors are in place, there is little time spent in fear.’

… gratitude provides clarity about whether the work they are doing is correct, valued by the boss or others, and making a significant contribution to the business.’

‘Expressing authentic gratitude is about much more than what a leader says, or even how she says it- it’s about why she says it.’

‘If employees are afraid of punitive actions, they are more likely to try to cover up problems.’

‘Leaders who develop empathy for others are great enablers of authentic gratitude.’

‘Creativity requires trust. Cultures of low trust, where managers react badly to failure, create too negative an environment for productivity and innovation to flow.’

‘Avoid the over-ask- especting too much from employees by asking for ideas that are out of their purview or asking too many questions at once.’

Source:

Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton (2020). Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results

Lead From Your Heart

Love can reveal itself in the simplest of ways– by giving someone hope or telling a person that he or she is important.’

Humility begins and ends with four magical words: It’s not about you. It isn’t about deflecting compliments or projecting false modesty- it’s about demonstrating that whom you love, whom you care about, and whom you lead is more important than what you accomplish.’

When strong leaders embrace human dignity and care enough about whom they lead, they truly make their people partners in the organization’s pursuit of success.’

Whatever your job, title, or role, a passionate belief in what you do is often the difference between success and failure.’

Self-serving leaders value personal goals and agendas over the needs of the team. Heart-led leaders think in the ‘we’, while self-serving leaders are all about the ‘me.”

When people respect a leader– the person, not the position- they enthusiastically follow- at home, at work, in your community, even on the golf course!’

Heart-led leaders have the self-awareness to understand who they are and what’s important to them. They can step outside of themselves, giving themselves the ability not to see their own strengths and weaknesses but also to make decisions about how best to live their lives and serve those around them.’

When you choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong– even when no one is looking- you are truly leading with your heart.’

Heart-led leaders understand that transparency is the fastest way to foster trust, build teams, and grow relationships.’

Harboring ill will or negative feelings toward someone not only clouds our memory but also crowds our heart. The only way to make room for love, empathy, and compassion is to push hate and resentment out.’

Empathy makes an act of kindness more than a transition.’

Nothing better reveals who you are more than how you give to others.’

Source:

Tommy Spaulding (2015). The Heart Led Leader: How Living and Leading from the Heart Will Change Your Organization and Your Life