The season of giving thanks is upon us, but don’t save all of your gratitude for the dinner table. Gratitude is actually a critical – and frankly undervalued – leadership asset year-round. Here’s why:
Gratitude is key to self-management
When we work with clients on developing their leadership skills, self-management is our first area of focus. Leadership isn’t just about managing your team or making decisions. It’s also about regulating your own emotions, time, and energy; being self-aware and curious; and cultivating authentic working relationships.
Operating from a place of gratitude supports all three. It grounds us in times of stress and helps us show up better for our teams. It helps us celebrate the small wins and overcome perfectionist tendencies. And nothing makes a professional relationship stronger than mutual respect and appreciation.
Gratitude is key to psychological safety
Psychological safety is the “belief that the context is safe for interpersonal risk-taking—that speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes will be welcomed and valued.” It’s also the number one indicator of performance and an important driver of employee engagement.
One of the most effective ways to build psychological safety is to show that you care about your employees as individuals: by getting to know them, understanding and advocating for their development goals, and – of course – showing your gratitude for extra effort or a job well done. It may sound obvious, but according to McKinsey, only a quarter of managers are creating psychological safety for their teams. Maybe it’s time to take another look at your gratitude game.
Gratitude is key to weathering tough times
For many of us, it’s tough out there. We’re figuring out what the AI hype really means, accepting an uncertain economy as the new normal, doing more with less, hitting tighter timelines, etc., etc. These are not small problems.
At the same time, there is still much to be grateful for. Friends and family, perhaps. A furry face that greets you at the door. A hobby that sustains your creative side. Or even just the simple pleasures of a good meal, a hot shower, or a warm bed.
But if you have a hard time appreciating the small things, especially in times of crisis, you’re not alone. Humans have a negativity bias, or a tendency to focus more on the bad than the good. Harvard professor Arthur Brooks likens gratitude to exercise – we know it’s good for us, but it can also be the first thing that goes out the window when life gets in the way. He recommends making gratitude a habit. Keeping a list handy of what you’re grateful for can be a regular uplifting reminder, and expressing your appreciation to others will actually make you both happier.
When the joy of the holidays fades into the dark cold of winter, it can be easy to file gratitude away for the next celebration. But if you embrace it as a key part of your leadership toolkit, you and your team will be more joyful – and productive – year-round.