What Gratitude Really Means
It doesn’t matter how much you accomplish in the world, there’s a voice in your head that wonders if you might matter more. Successful leaders overcome their inner accuser, even if it isn’t silenced.
People who feel they don’t matter squander their potential.
The nobility of leadership is helping people make a difference and affirming them when they do.
Worth:
Gratitude says you’re worthy.
A powerful act of leadership recently landed in our mailbox. My wife received a handwritten thank you note. It helped her believe she’s making a difference. It bolstered her courage.
Gratitude withheld is kin to ingratitude. Many on your team are hungry for a simple pat on the back, coupled with a heartfelt, “Keep up the great work.”
Gratitude says you made a difference.
Power:
Gratitude expands you’re power.
Every leader who is needy for power, sucks power from others.
One reason leaders withhold gratitude is they fear power in others. After all, it’s harder to control people who feel powerful. You need to knock them down a peg or two. Let them know they aren’t “all that.” Keep them in line.
It’s easy to ignite feelings of insignificance in others when you have authority. Lousy leaders drain people’s power with criticism, put-downs, nit-picking, and disrespect.
Gratitude restores what criticism destroys.
Strength:
Gratitude amplifies your strengths.
Strength for the journey includes believing you matter. People who feel strong go further than those who feel weak.
Leaders who feel weak don’t have time, inclination, or energy to help others feel strong.
People who believe they can make a difference:
- Hold their heads a bit higher.
- Think about possibilities just a bit more.
- Try with greater confidence.
- Accept compliments without becoming self-indulgent.
Gratitude emboldens others to make a difference today.
How might leaders help others believe they might make a difference today?
When you show gratitude to others, what happens in them?
Dan–been learning so much about gratitude this past year thanks to you and the good stuff from Ann Voskamp. Thanks for helping us keep focused on building others up. This is the joyful road for self and others. Way better than taking the joyless road either tearing others down or puffying self up. I am grateful for you and the joy that gratitude unleashes!!
Thanks Scott. It’s great that you connected joy to gratitude. We look around our organizations and wonder why they feel dark. All we need to do is listen to what comes out of our mouths for a hint at the answer.
The words we use call out emotional responses from others.
Thank you for this very insightful post. Thank you for your passion to create better leadership.
And thanks for your gratitude, Mim. 🙂
Thanks Dan, whole year you keep guiding us on various topic of leadership dimension.
Altitude of great leaders is mix of humility with gratitude.
1. When you start loving yourself with truthfulness by default such signs creep In your DNA and remain for longer period with you. Now your nerves remain unbiased to polluted environment created by useless people and you behave equally with all. Gratitude is a perfect attitude only when surroundings are equally reciprocating to your understood belief with a impact otherwise it’s a momentary.
2. What helps you in understanding your people, what heals them , why do they perceive a solution in you. Leaders may have a midas touch but still favouritism is a disease remain with them and this approach scales their altitude , may be low or high , just because of gratitude with high or low attitude.
3. Size of position doesn’t define or gurranty the high class gratitude mannerism with poor attitude. It’s a flip side of coin or a perception.
4. Gratitude seems economic for those who play safe with leadership position but…
Bold leadership is result of great attitude with high gratitude.
Crazy