As we conclude our focus on thanksgiving, today we turn to An Attitude of Gratitude. As leaders, and really as people, each of us needs to develop a grateful attitude, because it leads to so much more positivity in our lives, and in our leadership. We’ve focused on the being thankful for the opportunity to lead, being thankful for those we lead and being thankful in all circumstances. The reason for this weeklong focus is unless we learn to be grateful as leaders, we’ll never be as effective as we can be, because gratitude enhances every person’s effectiveness.
Let me explain. If we’re not thankful that we are leaders, we’ll either assume we’re owed our positions, take our roles for granted, or perhaps assume we aren’t really capable to be leaders. When we’re grateful for our roles, we won’t let pride get in the way of our leadership. Nor will we take anything for granted, because gratitude is the opposite of taking things for granted. The additional benefit of being grateful when we’re leaders is while we won’t be overconfident, neither will we assume we don’t deserve to be leaders. Gratitude is the great motivator, and the great humbler of us all. The assumption when we’re grateful is there is someone to whom we owe thanks for who we are and what we have.
If we’re people of faith, we’ll assume that someone is God. If we’re not, we’ll credit parents, teachers, mentors, and others with our development as leaders. I give credit to God and so many others who have paved the way for may being an effective leader. If you take a moment right now to reflect on your development as a leader, to whom do you owe a debt of gratitude? Taking the time to reflect on this question, will give you a reason to be grateful.
Developing an attitude of gratitude for those who follow us assures that we will hold greater compassion for them, as well as letting them know when we are grateful for what they have done. We can’t assume they’ll know we’re grateful. We must say, “Thank you,” and show our gratitude in tangible ways. I recently made lunch for the staff at New Life, because I wanted them to know how grateful I am to serve with them, and for all they do. They were grateful themselves, because they know this is a particularly full time in our life together. That I invested the time in them, and served them in this way, meant a lot to them. When was the last time you either said, “Thank you,” or did something to show your gratitude to those you lead?
Having an attitude of gratitude means waking up each day and saying, “Thank you,” for another day. It means stopping to notice and appreciate the small blessings that happen daily. It also means finding a way to say, “Thank you,” when things don’t go well. After all, as we noted on Wednesday when we talked about being thankful in all circumstances, it doesn’t mean we’re thankful for everything that happens, but being thankful no matter what.
As you and I remember to be thankful, and have or develop an attitude of gratitude, we will become more effective as leaders, and those we lead will become grateful to serve with us. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved, and it starts with saying, “Thank you,” no matter what.
Here’s to leading better by developing and living an attitude of gratitude–today and every day to come!