Hi everyone,

I’m looking forward to bringing back Coffee with Carrie this week!

I hope these sessions helped add a bit of joy, meaning, and reflection in your life throughout this time and I look forward to continuing the conversation on Thursday around the skill of curiosity.

Since I’m feeling grateful for our time together during these sessions, I thought I’d touch on the importance of showing gratitude in your work. 

THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP

“The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.”

—Charles Schwab

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Gratitude is more than a soft skill.

Leaders who practice gratitude are more empathetic and have higher self-esteem, more mental strength, and a better immune system.

It also makes us all happier, gives us better quality sleep, has a real-time positive impact on our brains, and makes us more resilient and adaptable to change.

And if all of that is not enough to convince you…

This report from Workhuman explains how people who practice gratitude are more likely to be successful and help those around them be successful too.

Often the phrase “increased ROI” means more money. Here, we’re talking about more human value. When you engage in social recognition in the workplace, you’re fueling positive interactions. This leads to unlocked potential and excellent work.

THE WEEKLY FLOURISH 

Exercise 

30 min to an hour

Here are three ideas to uplevel your gratitude practice today: 

• Create a “Good Things Jar”

  Get some pretty scraps of paper and write moments or things that make you happy, then put the paper in a jar. Could be once a day, could be once a week —just make it a regular practice. 

•  Start a happiness broadcast 

  At the start or end of each meeting (or at least during once-a-week meetings), invite your team to share good news, gratitude, or something that sparks joy.

• Text your personal hero 

  Text someone you are grateful for or who inspires you. Be sure to include why— go ahead, text them now. I’ll wait.
  

GREATNESS TAKES GUIDANCE 

If your managers need more ideas about keeping teams engaged during this time, we’ve developed a new series called the 5Cs for Re-Energizing Your Team. This toolkit is specifically designed to address the current pandemic and will help you and your team:

• Prepare a crisis communication strategy with transparency and compassion, listening to fears and feelings, and mutually building trust so you can move forward with ease, excellence, and efficiency.

• Commit to a plan as we move from anxiety to adjustment.

• Use hope theory and positive psychology to counter the rollercoaster of emotions you and your team might be experiencing right now.

• Learn timely, science-backed tactics to increase employee happiness and motivation. 

Schedule some time to learn more here!

With gratitude, 

-Carrie and Team Leadology