Gratitude’s Role in Leadership

Would the people you live and work with describe you as a grateful person? George Burns, who lived to be 100 years old, once said, “The first thing I do each morning is check the obituary section of the paper. If my name is not in it, I know it’s going to be a great day.”

If you are not sure how gratitude relates to leadership, think about this: What if none of your employees showed up for work today. How would you serve your customers and accomplish the day? When I have this thought, it is easy for me to be grateful for the people on my team and find ways to show them appreciation for the gifts they bring to our team.  The following are excerpts from our book “Why Leaders Fail.” Each excerpt is a great example of the behaviors needed to be a grateful leader and how to show gratitude in your leadership.

Selflessly Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Great leaders know they, as the leader, played a role in the outcome when their teams perform well. Every great coach or quarterback being congratulated after a winning game immediately says “I am proud of the entire team,” and “All the credit goes to the team.” Wins belong to the team.

Confident leaders feel great about ensuring that praise and recognition are given to the team or the right people on the team. Humble leaders often feel uncomfortable with all the praise and credit being attributed to them as the leader, even when it is deserved. Effective leaders respond with “I need everyone on the senior team to know that I’m grateful for the compliments, but it’s important you know my team deserves the credit and praise. They worked incredibly hard to achieve these amazing results. I’d be really grateful if someone on the senior team would send my team an email to let them know you are aware of their great work, and you are grateful for both their help and outstanding results.”

Be Focused and Forgiving

When someone makes a mistake, humble leaders focus on resolving the problem. They will do whatever they can to help improve the situation, and all their energy is future focused. They are trying to answer two important questions:

1. Where do we need to be?
2. What actions can we take to improve the situation and get to where we want to be most expeditiously?

Just as quickly as they are able to focus their positive energy on the future, they are able to forgive. Being a forgiving leader in critical situations is one of the best ways to build strong relationships in which people are highly motivated to follow you.

Demonstrate Respect

Humble leaders show respect to everyone.

A candidate for a VP job reached the final question of the interview. He was the clear front-runner for the job. He had been at the company for seven years, and he was well-liked. But, this question stumped him: “What is the name of the security guard you pass every morning?” He didn’t know. He lost the promotion.

Many leaders find it easy to reciprocate respectful behavior. The true test for humble leaders presents itself when others treat them in a disrespectful manner. How would you respond if a direct report rolled their eyes in front of other team members when you proposed a new change for your team? That is the real test of humility. Humble leaders have the ability to demonstrate respect, even in the most challenging of situations.

When you are a grateful leader, it is much easier to see the good in others and provide ample praise and recognition where it is due. Remember, gratitude builds relationships.

Is being a grateful leader and showing gratitude difficult? Yes. Being grateful takes time, effort and a different skill set. If it were easy, every great manager would also be a great leader. Is being a caring leader even harder? Yes, but by focusing on your people and putting these tips into action daily, you will see the rewards—in organizational results, emotional engagement and commitment of your team, and the true joy of being a leader who genuinely cares.

I practice gratitude exercises almost daily. I note what I am grateful for, and find this daily practice boosts my attitude, decreases stress, and helps me mentally prepare for the day.  If you want to up your leadership game, showing gratitude and a positive attitude is a great place to start.