3 Powerful ways that having More Gratitude can Support Leadership

When I bought a gratitude journal for a successful entrepreneur I was coaching, whilst he appreciated the gesture it was no secret that the journal didn’t see the light of day for most of the year we spent working together.  And I get it. I’m also guilty of keeping a gratitude journal that collected dust after a few months of use.

Whilst I spend time now acknowledging and cultivating gratitude through meditation, I also experience what it feels like when there’s so much going on in our days that we need to focus on other things. And during those moments, practicing gratitude may seem more like a distraction. But as many leaders know in business, it’s making the tiny tweaks in the process that when steadily repeated over time, help us to achieve our goals. And the same thing applies to improving leadership behaviours. The good intentions, authenticity, and awareness through which our behaviours are cultivated can help differentiate a great leader from a good one. 

In recent years there has been proven scientific research to support how gratitude contributes to our wellbeing.

Robert A. Emmons, PhD at the University of California, studied the impact of gratitude on physical health, psychological well-being, and our relationships with others. Immersed in this work for over a decade, Emmons found that gratitude helps in 3 key areas:

Physical Well-being - people who practice gratitude are healthier. They have stronger immune systems, sleep better and have lower blood pressure 

Psychological Well-being - includes feeling more alert and energetic along with having more optimistic, positive and empathetic emotions. Which arguable impact our awareness and motivation to take action

Sociological Well-being - with better emotions and actions comes an increased propensity to create better relationships. More grateful people are more helpful, generous and compassionate, and able to forgive. 

Here are 3 ways practicing gratitude can improve leadership and workplace behaviours 

1) Gratitude allows us to be more present 

This is incredibly useful for leaders who need to deal with a lot of change and challenges. Gratitude paves the way to be more open to different perspectives which enables other positive qualities like adaptability, a greater sense of self-belief and resilience. All of which allows leaders to take ownership more readily and take their people on the journey with them

2) Gratitude reduces depression

There’s recent evidence, including a 2008 study by psychologist Alex Wood in the Journal of Research in Personality, showing that gratitude can reduce the frequency and duration of episodes of depression

This suggests that instead leaders can focus more on authentic expression, and avoid toxic forms of fake positivity in the workplace. Providing more scope to improve meaningful conversations, connections, teamwork and business results

3. Gratitude reduces stress and anxiety

Research from Emmons and Anjali Mishra discovered that gratitude lowers stress. They also found that "gratitude enhances effortful goal striving

A study from the University of Pennsylvania that shows when leaders are grateful to their employees, the employees are 50 percent more successful.

3 ways you can build habits to consciously cultivate more gratitude each day

1. A Gratitude journal. I know. Back to that again! Emmons proves that even writing 5 things you’re grateful for at the end of each week helps cultivate better feeling emotions and actions.

2. Serving and giving to others. When we can practice serving others-clients, colleagues, other stakeholders and our loved ones each day, more than focusing on self-serving distractions and biases, it becomes easier to make room for gratitude as an intentional habit. Especially the less judgemental and the more open and curious we can be 

3. Watching your language and intentionally responding through a lens of gratitude. When our workload increases, it can become easier for our judgments to get in the way and for the focus to zoom into what we need to do.  Grateful people have a particular linguistic style that uses the language of gifts, givers, blessings, blessed, fortune, fortunate, and abundance. Their awareness is on the good things others have done on their behalf and through their language. 

If you’re yet to entertain writing in a gratitude journal then here are 3 more tips to get you started on boosting a deeper attitude of gratitude. 

1) Ask what 3 people, things, or places you’re grateful for at the end of each day and then if you’re feeling brave 3 more things. Remember to recognise what you're thankful to yourself for too- again if you're used to beating yourself up to more often than not, start with one thing you can be proud or grateful towards yourself for.  

2) Extend compliments to others. Silent gratitude is a waste. And the word thank you is frequently used without sincerity. So it’s important to get more specific with your gratitude. Rather than a simple thank you. You can say thank you, followed by what you notice e,g, I notice that you’ve really taken the time to put this presentation together. It’s been really helpful. 

3) Acknowledge and savour the small wins. Remember success is not getting to a goal but a journey. Take time to savour the small wins and recognise your efforts as well as your teams.