Why I Choose Gratitude and Why Leaders Should, Too

My birthday is in January. I used to complain about getting older, but that changed in May of 2016 when I was diagnosed with cancer. Every January then became a gift and my complaining shifted to gratitude. It got me thinking about the importance of gratitude – especially in leadership.

When I coach leaders, we often work on emotional leadership. It is the spark that can ignite the performance of a team or leave it in a heap of ashes. A leader who is impatient, irritated, defensive, or angry will transfer those moods to their team, and it will be reflected in performance.

Strong emotional leadership requires a leader to shift their moods up. One of the most effective ways to do that is to show gratitude.

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, the showing of appreciation and kindness. When we appreciate something, we recognize its worth.

When leaders choose gratitude, employees feel appreciated and valued. When I was leading a team through a stressful transition, thanking each of them daily was a game changer.

I’m entering 2023 with gratitude for another birthday and nearly 7 years of being cancer free. I also plan to show more gratitude toward others.

How will you choose to show gratitude this year?