Gratitude, a Trait of True Leaders
Posted by: jhersey in Perspective, tags: attitude gratitude, effective leadership, grateful, gratefulness, gratitude, Leadership, leadership development, leadership qualities, leadership styles, leadership traits, show gratitudeAs the bestseller author Melody Beattie states:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
Gratitude is not a Thanksgiving Day or Christmas time ‘thing’. Although these special times of year are all about consciously counting our blessings, gratitude is a way of life, a habit we must get into so as to get the best out of life and the people around us every single day.
Showing gratitude is the best way to spread positive feelings around you. Think about it for a minute:
How do you feel when someone expresses a sincere thank you for something you did? Doesn’t it make you feel great? Positive feelings lift people up, increase their enthusiasm, and motivate them to achieve more. Reaching a goal starts with a single positive thought.
Gratitude can have a very positive snowball effect that keeps you and others moving forward towards achieving your goals. It is a selfless and lasting feeling that will inspire you and others around you for a long time. When being grateful to others, be open and expressive, so that they truly know how you feel.
No one should be taken for granted. A good leader shows gratitude for even the smallest things. It could be just a verbal ‘thank you’, a note, or a small gift; the important thing is to recognize the service others give, in order to create a strong and loyal relationship. It is fundamental to learn how to express gratitude towards others, however it is equally important to learn to accept it from those around you.
Gratitude prompts better communication and interest in helping. Everyone understands a word of love that comes from the heart. No matter how constructive criticism is, it may put people in a defensive state, but if you employ a grateful attitude, it can really do wonders. By highlighting what you appreciate in people, it is easier to talk to them about what they need to improve.
Being grateful is a practice that requires training; this is why it is a great idea to keep a gratitude journal. You should write on it five things you are grateful for every day. Maybe today you want to acknowledge how grateful you are for your health, for your family, friends and colleagues, for your finances, for your personal accomplishments, for your intelligence and ingenuity, for the things you love, or for your freedom to dream. The more you write the more you will start being grateful for the smallest things. Showing gratitude every day will change the way you think, and will benefit you and others around you.
When you are thankful for what you have, you will get more of it. If you center on what you lack, you will never have enough.
Gratitude makes you appreciate life and keeps your thoughts positive, so that you cherish everything you have and acknowledge the people around you as valuable human beings with lots of wisdom and valuable ideas to share.
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