The Profound Power of Gratitude in Leadership
I was opening our Vital Farms egg carton, and a little flier popped out. It featured the story of their hen “Eager Emmy” on the front, and on the back was a gratitude note to fill in and send to someone.
It said: “Every day, simply by being hens, our girls bring good into the world. We bet there’s someone in your life who’s doing the same, and here’s your chance to thank them.” Then it had prompts for doing just that.
Think of all your stakeholders that collectively enable your organization to run, serve, and succeed: Employees, customers, investors, partners, suppliers, communities, and more. Now imagine they know how much you appreciate them because you tell them and show them. How impactful would that be?!
Expressing and showing gratitude is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to stand out as a leader and genuinely put the power of love to work. As an Amare leader, you can do it every day and reap the rewards instantly.
- How often do you feel grateful for all you have?
- Do you regularly thank people who contribute to your success?
- What might happen if you doubled or even tripled your daily expressions of gratitude?
6 Amare Ways to Become a Gratitude Guru
1. Quick list. Set a timer for two minutes. List people you’re grateful to have in your life. Notice the little boost you get when you think about each of them. Good medicine right there.
2. Say it out loud. Say Thank You right now. Again. Again. Now repeat Thank You three times very slowly. Repeat three times again with exclamation marks in your voice, first one (!), then two (!!), then three (!!!). Experiment with what feels genuine and warms you up. Welcome tears, too.
3. Send this note. “Dear _________, I want you to know that when you _________, I feel _________. Thank you for being _________.” Then sign and send. Repeat with as many people as you dare.
4. Go all-in. Schedule a gratitude hour for this week, to be in total gratitude. Don’t be “anti” anything. Keep thinking of what you are grateful for… breathing, sunshine, food, money, work, friends, love, etc. When opposing thoughts come in, just let them pass through.
5. Pissed off gratitude. Work toward gratitude mastery by finding it even when you’re really angry or depressed. In advance, have your “go-to’s” in mind (dog, vacation, sushi, whatever!) that help you summon gratitude when it’s really hard.
6. Gratitude culture assessment. Start with a simple survey asking your people how many times they’ve been thanked by their bosses in the last year, and how many times they’ve thanked others at work. Then decide if that represents the culture you want.
Tap into the profound power of your authentic gratitude and share it widely. Build it into your culture as a love-powered leader. It will make you a more effective leader, and happier on the inside too.
Empower Your Team with Amare Keynotes
I do keynote speeches to inspire teams to put love to work, tap into their unique genius, and collaborate more effectively. If you know of organizations that would benefit, kindly put them in touch with me.
Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
—Cicero, Roman statesman (circa 50 BC)
You Might Also Like:
Enough is Enough: An Amare View of Gratitude
Your Outer Environment and Your Inner State: Four Simple Steps to Improve and Connect Inside and Out
How Mistakes Make you a Better Leader: 6 Amare Ways to Master Imperfection
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