Date: 11/17/2015

Title: LEADERSHIP AND GRATITUDE – Part 1

By Jennifer Erickson

Oh, my gosh. It’s November, and here’s another article on gratitude. Something else to read about being thankful. Just because it’s November.

Well, no. Not really. Gratitude plays a big role in how you lead others. Gratitude goes to the heart of leadership (no pun intended). Gratitude goes to our very core.

Gratitude is sometimes referred to as “appreciation” or “gratefulness”. It is a mind-set. It is endemic in our language, if we have it. It is the foundation of our behavior, if we have it.

It’s easy to spot someone who lives his or her life from a position of gratitude. These are the people who seem so upbeat. Not only is the glass half-full, but it is really three-quarters full. And, by the way, that’s all we need anyway!

People who live their lives from a position of gratitude recognize that bad things will happen. Gratitude does not mean living like Pollyanna, with your head in the sand. Quarterly goals will get missed. The big contract will go to someone else. The boss will overlook you for that promotion. But, by and large, there is something positive in most situations.

In addition to being thankful, gratitude means “readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. I have read somewhere that leaders should practice “an attitude of gratitude”. To do that, means you have a certain philosophy toward people and life. You are looking for the good in situations. You realize that most of the time, people do the best they can with what they have.

To learn more about how to practice this understanding, contact Results Group, LLC at www.ResultsGroupLLC.com or 515-330-2866.