Gratitude & Leadership
An attitude of gratitude. This phrase was first coined by Oprah (I believe) a few years back. Since then, it’s caught on like wildfire, particularly within the self-improvement demographic. Why? Because there’s a realization that when you want something to shift, change or improve, the place to begin is by focusing on what’s right and working, rather than what isn’t. Gratitude facilitates this process.
As a leader, you are charged (either by yourself or by those around you) with the responsibility of implementing change. It might not be big change, but CHANGE is the domain of leadership. Even when things around you are going extremely well, there are always things to tweak, augment, or modify in some way, if only because the world itself is always changing. As a leader your job is to stay aware of the changes that are happening in the world, so that you can implement the changes needed in your smaller microcosm of the world. Make sense?
Sometimes, implementing change can seem daunting and down-right difficult. Where do you start? What do you focus on? Who do you work with? Why do you do this? All of these questions and a myriad of others can lead you to a place of spinning your wheels at the very least, and sometimes even to feeling completely and utterly stuck. In those moments, looking to gratitude is what will get you moving again.
Gratitude does not in anyway have to be grandiose. In fact, the very premise of an “attitude of gratitude” is that you put your attention on the simple: gratitude for the opportunity to lead, gratitude for the gift of a new day, gratitude for that morning cup of coffee, gratitude for the silence in the middle of the night, gratitude for the laundry being done. Some of these might seem like mundane things; why express gratitude for clean laundry? And yet, can you imagine not having clean laundry? Having to go to work in a shirt with coffee stains? Being grateful — and expressing your gratitude — for all things, no matter how simple, keeps your focus on the good, thereby allowing you to facilitate change in a good way. Your brain is in a “this is working” state. Which means you can keep things working. You can find a way.
Bottom-line: the expression of gratitude is a wonderful anchor. It facilitates all sorts of good things. As a leader, no matter who you’re leading or what changes you’re facilitating, standing in an attitude of gratitude can help you in your leadership journey. Whatever challenge you’re facing in this moment, I invite you to stop and reflect: what are you grateful for?
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