March 13, 2023

Below is a lesson from Chris Kolenda on the importance of being a high-gratitude leader, as well as our key learnings.

The Blue Courage team is dedicated to continual learning and growth.  We have adopted a concept from Simon Sinek’s Start With Why team called “Learn, Share, Grow”.  We are constantly finding great articles, videos, and readings that have so much learning.  As we learn new and great things, this new knowledge should be shared for everyone to then grow from.

Gratitude in Leadership: Practicing the 3 A’s of Gratitude

by Chris Kolenda

Gratitude in leadership is less of a feel-good idea, and more do-good practice of putting your intentions into action. The good news is that you don’t have to spend hours journaling, sitting in the lotus position, or manufacturing empty praise. Instead, focus on the 3 A’s of gratitude.

The 3 A’s of Gratitude in Leadership

• Affirmation (reminding people that what they do matters) 
• Admiration (praising people for doing things well)
• and Appreciation (recognizing employees appropriately).

Put these gratitude practices into action, and you will see better productivity in your company and lower stress for you.

Continue Reading Here.

Key Learnings:

• People have high morale at work when they know what they are doing is essential, they do it well, and they know you appreciate them.
   
• Gratitude is the intersection of the three A’s:
   
  • Affirmation - what you are doing matters. Affirm that your employees’ work is essential by showing them the links between their job and the company success.
     
  • Admiration – you are doing it well. Be specific about what they are doing right.
     
  • Appreciation – you are recognized appropriately. Identify how their work is helping you and the company. Invest in their professional growth.
     
• By expressing gratitude to your employees, you are highlighting, tangible examples of what behaviors to emulate.
   
• People who practice gratitude have lower stress, better peace of mind, and are more successful.
   
• High-gratitude-leaders experience:
   
  • 81% of your employees become more productive
     
  • 53% of your employees are more willing to stay (higher retention)
     
• Pay attention to your employees and meet with them for 15 minutes each week to boost their productivity.
   
• Event-driven journaling, may be more beneficial to some people rather than a routine daily journaling.
   
• Since faults tend to stand out more than excellence, you must be intentional about opportunities to express gratitude.