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 the 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 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 ways to become a gratitude guru
- 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.
- Say it out loud. Say “Thank You” right now. 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.
- Send this note. “Dear _________, I want you to know that when you _________, I feel _________. Thank you for being _________.” Then sign and send it to as many people as you dare.
- 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.
- Upset 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.
- Gratitude culture assessment. Start with a simple survey asking your people how many times they’ve been thanked by their bosses in the past 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.
This post is written by Moshe Engelberg.
Original post link: https://www.inc.com/moshe-engelberg/do-this-1-thing-to-instantly-become-a-better-leader.html
