“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” Cicero
For a leader or any person, the practice of gratitude provides:
• Ability to see the good in others and situations
• Clearing of darkness, bitterness, disappointment, hurt and anxiety from the heart
• Openness to increased positive outcomes
• Attraction of more positive events in which to be thankful
The consistent practice of gratitude is one of the most powerful tools available to leaders and anyone. It is also very predictive of success in both work and life. When gratitude becomes a way of life, it will open your heart, clear out a lot of bad junk and provide the room for many more blessings to come to you. Gratitude is a starting point to unlocking your heart for better leadership and a better life.
What is Gratitude
Gratitude is the expression of appreciation, both internally generated and externally communicated. It is a feeling of thankfulness and true joy in something you have or someone in your life.
The power of gratitude rests in the internal feeling generated by being thankful. This piece is all about you. It feels good to remember our blessings. This takes some of the mud off our hearts.
As if that were not enough, the power (some say superpower) of gratitude becomes when it is shared with others. This is where multiplying, compounding and diametric expansion of the power comes into play. Now, instead of just you feeling better, you have impacted, in a very positive way, someone else. They now have a choice of continuing the expansion by being appreciative of others or even reciprocating your gratitude. Over time and consistency, gratitude will change the emotional composition and create a wave of positive belief for individuals, companies and communities.
And wait, there is still more (no, there will not be a sales offer for Ginsu knives coming). Gratitude has the unique power of reframing a dark, difficult situation into bearable and, even positive. Think for a moment about one of the most challenging things you have faced in the past few months. Now look deeply for some positive qualities in that situation. Did you learn from it? Were there some great qualities in that difficult person that are now covered in the mud of anger? Were you able to overcome the obstacles and continue with life? Did you move forward, despite the lingering pain and hurt? If you can answer yes to any of those, you can be grateful for that difficulty. And when you do, it feels great.
Where Should I Look for Gratitude
Sadly, many people reserve their appreciation for something big. A raise, promotion, winning the lottery, delivery of a big project all rise to the level of easily common gratitude.
Genuine gratitude and the power than comes with it is found in the usual and the often-overlooked pieces of everyday life. Successful gratitude practice will focus on thankfulness for the necessities, the challenges and all the resources we have been provided. And without any “but” statements connected to them.
A leader should be thankful every day for:
• Family and Friends
• Her or His Team
• The Employer or Company
• The Challenges Solved or Lessons from Them
• Resources Available to Lead
• Critics and Naysayers
• The Life Necessities of Food, Water, Shelter, Clothing and Transportation
Saying Thanks is Not the Same as Gratitude Practice
When introducing gratitude as a restorer of leadership heart and emotional composition, the consistent rebuff is “I always say thank you” or “I am always grateful”. And they are probably right but that is not the practice of gratitude and it does not have the lasting impact and power of creating an intentional and mindful practice.
To truly unlock this great heart power, begin the practice of appreciation and gratitude by:
1. Taking 30 seconds to a minute to clear your mind of clutter and the bouncing thoughts that affect many of us.
2. Use two to three minutes to think of things in which you are thankful or grateful. Nothing else but those thoughts for that time.
3. Note five to ten items in which you are thankful or grateful in daily entry journal form. Be sure to date the entry.
4. Of the five to ten gratitude notations, make sure at least one and preferably two are directly about something you did. That’s right, thankful for you and your own actions. Give yourself a little appreciation and thankfulness here.
5. Also ensure that at least one of the grateful notations is about a challenge, struggle, loss, hurt or pain. Look deeply for the good in something that was difficult at the time but brought a positive outcome or great lessons for you.
6. Pick one of the items of gratitude and purposefully express it to the person involved. Tell them. Send them an unexpected note of appreciation. Do something for them. Doesn’t really matter how you do this but express it sincerely and from the heart.
And the last step is to use the shampoo method on this practice: wash, rinse and repeat. Consistency is key to the power of gratitude. Everyday. Even on vacation.
Tim Schneider is the founder of Aegis Learning and has been working with teams and leaders for 25 years. He generates results, impact and his sole focus is your success.
He is the author of The Ten Competencies of Outstanding Leadership and Beyond Engagement and a widely sought speaker, training facilitator and individual development coach.