Leadership Challenge

Adversity Introduces Us to Ourselves

The economy is in a foul mood, and it's not being nice to anyone. You can be an eighty-year old banking icon or high-tech startup with ink still wet on the incorporation papers, and this market is going to mess with you. In my last three phone calls with clients, I have heard stories about layoffs of hundreds of middle managers, declining sales in retail stores, and no upward mobility in the firm "for the first time in our history." And on all these calls I have been asked if I might share some thoughts about what leaders can do to keep people engaged and inspired in times like these.

The calls bring to mind a comment made by John McDonnell, former CEO of McDonnell Douglas, when that company was going through its struggles before eventually merging with Boeing. "Adversity introduces you to yourself," he said, reflecting upon what that struggle had brought for him. And another thought from Randy Melville whom we interviewed when he was with Pepsi. Quoting his Princeton University basketball coach, Pete Carril, Randy said, "Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it." Challenges, difficulties, setbacks, adversities…they are all familiar sights on the leadership landscape. And one of the things that they cause us to do is to come face-to-face with ourselves. They are a rather harsh way of reminding us of what's important, what we value, and where we want to go.

Leaders are no strangers to challenges. In fact, exemplary leaders thrive on them. Here are a few tips on what you can do as a leader to enable others to learn to thrive as well. Many are drawn from our own research, but another important resource is Resilience at Work by Salvatore R. Maddi and Deborah M. Khoshaba.

1. Clarify what you value most. Randy Pausch, the professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University who is dying of pancreatic cancer and whose The Last Lecture video (and now #1 bestselling book) struck a chord with millions around the world, has perhaps the best mantra for times like these. "The brick walls are there for a reason," he says. "They're not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." It's important for leaders to always be clear about values and visions, beliefs and aspirations, but challenging times require being especially clear. Take the time to reassess what's important, where you are headed, and "how badly you want something."

2. Fully commit to what's important. This change warrants your full attention, imagination and effort. There's no holding back when the situation is dire. Elaine Fortier, at the time vice president of HR at New Focus, when talking about the downturn in her industry, “We all have to ask ourselves, ‘How do I go to work today and do something that will move the enterprise forward
and at the same time move myself forward?'" What important shared values and beliefs can you emphasize to keep people engaged? Keep reminding folks of what makes this work meaningful and significant, of the exciting future you can all aspire to achieving together.

3. Embrace the challenge. Exemplary leaders view challenge as opportunity and not as threat. Change always opens up all kinds of new and exciting possibilities for the future. What are those exciting possibilities? What are some innovative solutions that you can explore? How can we go about searching for new and innovative solutions that might lead us out of this situation? How can we make this an engaging learning experience?

4. Paint the big picture. This adverse situation is taking place in a larger context. What's the bigger picture here? How can you help others to understand what's happening in the environment and how it is affecting your business? How can I educate others about the broader context?

5. Engage others. There are others who are being affected by this; it's not just you and your group. You're all in this together. Who else is being impacted? How can you and others engage with them? And also remember that even just having one supportive, stable relationship is a crucial condition for transcending adversity. Social connection and social intimacy are necessary for a joyful life at home and at work. How can you use this opportunity to strengthen relationships with others? Who can you turn to for caring support and wise counsel?

6. Control what you can. You obviously don't control all of what is happening in the broader environment, but you are still in charge of your own lives! What decisions and actions do you and others control? How can you, and others, positively influence the outcome? What factors are in your control, and how can you all stay focused on them?

7. Take charge. People who are proactive are healthier and more successful. Leaders with high hope are not Pollyannas. They acknowledge reality, but they also move quickly to mobilize personal and group resources to deal with the problems. To be sure leaders must analyze and strategize, but they must also make something happen. What actions can I/we do to create forward momentum? What little things can we do to get moving in the right direction? The late Norman Cousins, former editor of Saturday Review and author of 20 books, put it this way when talking about people with serious illnesses who beat the medical odds: "They responded with a fierce determination to overcome. They didn't deny the diagnosis. They denied the verdict that is usually associated with it."

8. Tell positive stories. Looking at the future through a positive lens is characteristic of people exemplary. Optimism is essential I tough times. Having a belief that the future will work out for the best is essential to being upbeat and positive about the outcome. They can always find reasons for hope. What positive steps have we already taken and how can I communicate those to others? What can I do daily to demonstrate a positive and hopeful outlook? What can I do to recognize those who are making a positive contribution? How do I keep myself, and others, enthused about the work that we're doing?

It all boils down to this: Keep hope alive!

"Keep hope alive" is much more than a slogan. Keeping hope alive is essential to energetically achieving the highest levels of performance. People with high hope, compared to people with low hope, have a greater number of goals across various arenas of life, select more difficult goals, see their goals in a more challenging and positive manner, and attain higher grades in school. Keeping hope alive is also essential to an active and healthy life.

Hope is an attitude in action. Hope enables people to mobilize their healing powers and their achieving powers. Hope enables them to transcend the difficulties of today and envision the potentialities of tomorrow. Hope enables people to bounce back even after being bent, stretched, and depressed. Hope enables people to find the will and the way to aspire to greatness. Hope is testimony to the power of the human spirit.

Poste by
Jim Kouzes

Is it the Challenge that Really Matters?

The May issue of Harvard Business Review features an article by Bryon Reeves, Thomas W. Malone, and Tony O'Discoll called "Leadership's Online Labs."  The headline description on the first page of the article boldly claims, "Tens of millions of people are honing their leadership skills in multiplayer online games.  The tools and techniques they're using will change how leaders function tomorrow - and could make them more effective today."  The premise is intriguing and while I'm not 100% sold on the authors' claims, they do merit consideration.  Here's the piece that I found most interesting and got me thinking about a new approach to leadership development (p. 63):  "Most writing about leader selection and development focuses on people's backgrounds and natural talents.  Whether leadership ability is inborn or acquired through training, the assumption is that expertise resides within the individual.  Our study provided us with an arrestingly different view:  Perhaps the right environment is what really matters, whoever the leader happens to be."

Give the article a read and then let me know what you think.  If the authors' are right on this issue, the notion that "Leadership is Everyone's Business" just became even  more critical and it may be the challenge that really matters when it comes to gaining leadership expertise.

Posted by Lisa Shannon

Don't Just "Go Green"…"Lead Green"

Today is Earth Day. A day when we acknowledge the fragile nature of this incredible gift we have: Mother Earth. It seems a shame we need a day to reinforce the notion that this planet sustains and nurtures us in so many ways, but it does provide a platform for reflection. It also raises the awareness that these gifts we receive so freely, could be quietly slipping away forever. I found myself thinking today about the things I could do to "step it up a notch". I've switched the lightbulbs, we compost, and I happily use "TerraPass" when I travel. So, I'm doing something, right? Then I started thinking about posting today and how the topic of leadership connected to Earth Day. If I tap into my deepest values and dream of a future that includes the best this planet has to offer my children and theirs, I am not doing nearly enough. I am following the suggestions of others, but I am not taking the lead. I got online and googled Earth Day leadership and came across this article from Wisconsin. I was impressed and inspired. Acknowledging the principle of "Leadership is Everyone's Business", we all need to be taking the lead in creating a healthier planet, from whatever corner of the globe we occupy. Going green is good. Leading green is better. If you have ideas on ways to "lead green", please share them here. We are a community that embraces leadership. Let's use that focus provide vision and opportunity for those who share the planet.   
posted by
Beth High

Leadership Is Not a Popularity Contest. Or Is It?

After a lunch meting last Wednesday, April 9, I was driving east on Sutter Street in San Francisco when all three lanes of one-way traffic unexpectedly came to a complete halt. As I looked three blocks ahead to Van Ness Street, I could see police cars and motorcycles, officers in uniform, and several large vehicles in the middle of the street, making it impossible for me— and the hundreds of others— to cross Van Ness. What was going on?

I knew it was the day of the Olympic Torch run along the streets of San Francisco, but I was a couple miles from the designated route. Why was Van Ness closed off? Had a protest moved to another part of town? Was there a riot? What was it? I turned on the car radio and tuned in to a local station carrying the live broadcast. The on-air reporters seemed to be confused at first. No one knew exactly what had happened. Was it a ruse to draw attention away from the real route? Had the torch already left town? Or, was this actually a new route for the torch run? The latter turned out to be the case, and for the rest of the day and night and the next day it was the talk of the town…maybe even the nation.

What fascinated me most about this day – more than seeing the torch itself or the protestors on the Embarcadero -- was the reaction to the decision made by Mayor Gavin Newsom and Police Chief Heather Fong to change the route. Here's how the Mayor saw it: "We felt it was in everyone's best interest that we augment the route. I believe people were afforded the right to protest and support the torch." Chief Fong was quoted as saying, "When you are standing there, trying to make a decision, when the knot in your stomach is, 'What are we going to do here? How are we going to resolve this?' it's not an easy decision. But you sit there and you sweat about it, and you make a decision, and that's what we did."

But their perspective seemed to be in the minority when you listened to the nightly news and read the papers the next day. The San Francisco Chronicle called it an "Olympic-size fake-out" and said, "Complaints about the bait-and-switch rang long and loud from many among the estimated 10,000 people milling along the original route all morning." The ACLU filed for release of documents on the decision, saying it violated the free speech rights of the protestors. Other human rights groups were mad as hell. Local citizens just out to see the festivities, and with no political agenda, were also very upset. As one said, "There were lots of people here with their kids. They had to wait for four or five hours, and it's very disappointing." Peter Ueberroth, head of the U.S. Olympic Committee, however, had a different opinion: "The city of San Francisco, from a global perspective, will be applauded," he commented. And those who were completely surprised to find themselves suddenly in the middle of a phalanx of police, blue and white clad runners and their body guards, news trucks, helicopters flying overhead, and hundreds dashing from nearby buildings to catch a glimpse were downright gleeful.

Many leaders, regardless of level, will recognize the dilemma in which the Mayor and Police Chief found themselves. You may feel it right now in your own organization. Caught between competing interests and competing values – each of which are legitimate – you have to make choices about which right is right. And when you make choices some – maybe even the majority -- are not going to like the choice you make. That is a price leaders pay for the role they play. As author Garry Wills put it in Certain Trumpets, "Leadership is always a struggle, often a feud."

All leaders are biased—biased about the future, biased about core values, and biased about the mission. We expect them to be that way. We want leaders, our data tells us, who are clear about their beliefs and who have a compelling vision about things to come. But—ironic as it might seem—because of the very expectations we have of them—to be clear about their enduring beliefs and to proclaim their view of the future—leaders will always become vulnerable to having their credibility questioned, especially by those who hold different beliefs. Once a leader takes strong stands on matters of principle, he or she is going to excite some and irritate others.

What does this mean for leaders? First, understand that even the most authentic, genuine, and credible leader is going to find him or herself criticized and questioned. It just goes with the territory. You must learn how to manage the tension between your own desire to be true to yourself and your constituents' desire to do the same. Leaders have to learn to listen respectfully both to their own callings and to the voices of the people. Leaders have to learn to thrive in an arena where there will always be conflict and disagreement.

Second, because of this balancing dilemma, leaders must be ever diligent in guarding their credibility. Their ability to take strong stands—to challenge the status quo, to point us in new directions—depends upon their being perceived as highly credible. And because all leaders are going to have to take controversial positions every now and then, it's essential that their constituents believe in them. We call it The First Law of Leadership: "If you don't believe in the messenger, you won't believe the message." Even those who disagree with a particular decision, should at least be able to say they believe in the honesty and competence of the person making it.

Third, leaders should never be dismissive of those who disagree. Others have legitimate views, and people want to know that their views are respected even if they don’t prevail. Not listening to others and not acknowledging their equally strong beliefs on matters of principle is a sure way to permanently lose their support.

This is not to suggest for one second that leadership is simply a popularity contest. It is totally unrealistic for any leader to expect one hundred percent of potential constituents to willingly enlist in the cause. No matter how skilled, powerful, or attractive, there has never been a leader in history who has ever had that level of support. And, we should be thankful for that!

But never, ever forget this. Followership is a choice, and that choice is made daily. Leaders at all levels are only able to get extraordinary things done when they have the enthusiastic support of their constituents. So maybe, just maybe, leadership is a popularity contest after all.

Posted by
Jim Kouzes

Eve Carson 1985-2008

Yesterday was a day of both celebration and sadness. Eve Carson, Student Body President at the University of North Carolina, was murdered Wednesday March 5th in what now appears to be a random act of violence. Carson was honored on Tuesday by over 10,000 members of the community in which she had established herself as an admired leader. Together the community honored her and celebrated her life and spirit and focused on the positive influence she had in her short lifetime.

When the story unfolded last week we had a wonderful discussion with our kids about guns, violence, celebrity, etc.. My daughter raised the question of how strongly the University reacted, closing down all activities the day after her murder. Her discomfort stemmed from the fact that we don't have the same strong reaction to equally senseless loss of life that pervades in our inner cities. Why don't we stop and honor the small child who is killed in a gang related shooting? Good point. Perhaps it is because Eve touched so many. Regardless of why the world seemed to stop for a time in Chapel Hill after her death, I believe it is a good thing. Anytime we stop and think, it's a good thing. We all agreed on that. But it did make me reflect on why the community had such an outpouring and I believe it comes back to her role as a leader.

From the stories that were shared, Eve was a presence on campus. She adored the university and they adored her. She never stopped thinking of both ways to enjoy it and improve it. Her enthusiasm was infectious and brought out the most positive, creative sides of the people with whom she interacted, and there were many. She repeatedly inspired shared vision, challenged the process, enabled others (very often her seniors) to act, and encouraged the heart; with her enthusiasm, her genuineness, and her simple humanity she modeled the way. She was a bright light.

It is this light and hope, this sense of what's possible, the energy this young leader provided that was mourned Tuesday along with the young woman. Something the community needed and wanted was taken away with Eve.

She leaves behind many friends, a beloved family, a grateful student body, and a world that will miss the difference her leadership could have made. She also leaves behind an example worth following, one of leading with joy, energy, commitment, and hope. That light will not dim and may light the way for another young leader to emerge. For that, Eve, thank you.
Posted by
Beth High

Selecting the Next President

My good friend and colleague, Dan Mulhern, the First Gentleman of the State of Michigan, asked me in November 2007 as the presidential election campaign was getting under way to respond on his blog to the following question: Given the needs of America at this unique moment in history, what does it especially need in a leader? Are there particular attributes, characteristics or practices that would especially serve our country?

The presidential campaign has heated up considerably since I responded to Dan's question. Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton are slugging it out for every single delegate, while John McCain is flying solo as the winner on the Republican side. It seems certain that the remaining Democratic primaries will be hard-fought and nasty, and the summer convention may become one for the history books. The Fall contest will be as intense, fierce, and entertaining as any we've seen in years. But despite all the twists and turns of the campaign melodrama, I would still respond to Dan with the same advice I offered five months ago.

Here is what I said:

For the last twenty-five years my coauthor, Barry Posner, and I have been asking working people around the world to answer the following question: “What do you look for and admire in a leader, someone whose direction you would willingly follow?” The results have been striking in their regularity over the years, and they do not significantly vary by demographical, organizational, or cultural differences.

What is most striking and most evident in our research is that only four qualities, over time, have always received over 60 percent of the votes. Mind you that this research spans 25 years, so this is not some fad. The data tell us that there are a few essential “character tests” someone must pass before others are willing to grant the designation "leader." These are the basics, and they are fundamental to what people expect of any leader in our country, no matter what the times. So, what are they?

For people to follow someone willingly, the majority of constituents believe the leader must be

• Honest
• Forward-looking
• Inspiring
• Competent

Taken by themselves, these four characteristics are useful. Write them down and take them into the polling booth with you. Put them next to the names and then vote. But what is more significant is what these qualities mean when taken as a whole. Three of these four key characteristics—honest, competent, and inspiring—make up what communications experts refer to as “source credibility.” More than anything, people want leaders in whom they can believe. Credibility is the foundation of leadership. Period. Full stop. Put another way, if you don’t believe in the messenger, you won’t believe the message.

The fourth universal quality of being forward-looking is the attribute that differentiates leaders from other credible people. People expect their leaders to have a point of view about the future. They want to be confident that their leaders know where they’re going.

Now if this is what people most look for and admire in their leaders, then it seems to me that we, the voters, ought to include these four criteria among those we use in deciding who we want as our next President. When you walk into that voting booth, and before you pull that lever, here are a few basic questions you should ask yourself:

• To what extent has this person been honest with the people? How open are they about their beliefs? How much do I trust this person?
• How clear and compelling is this person's vision of the future for this country and this world? How consistent is this vision with the kind of future that the constituents want? How well are my own aspirations represented in this image of tomorrow?
• To what extent does this person convey hope and optimism about the future? How upbeat is this person? When I listen to and watch this person, how positive and uplifted do I feel?
• How capable is this person in leading others? What’s been this person’s track record of accomplishments? How successful has this person been in getting things done? Regardless of the years of experience this person has had, to what extent does this person demonstrate the capacity to learn and grow?
• And finally, here's the big one: Does this person keep promises, follow through on commitments, practice what he/she preaches, and walk the talk? Does this person do what he/she says?

While there is more to a president than credibility and vision, this is where it all starts. After all the fog of rhetoric has cleared and the day comes when one person takes that oath of office and then grabs the helm of the ship of state, we all want to feel confident that our leader will keep the promises made during the campaign.

Posted by Jim Kouzes

Challenge Is the Opportunity for Greatness

In two recent interviews journalists asked me a similar question. Each wanted to know why Barry Posner and I had selected The Leadership Challenge as the title for our book. “What do you mean to suggest by the title, and what is the challenge you are writing about?” These questions took me back to the very early days of our investigation on the practices of exemplary leadership.

The Leadership Challenge began as a research project in 1982. We wanted to know what leaders did when they operated at their “personal best” – when they set their own individual leadership standard of excellence. With thirty-eight open-ended questions, we asked about the situations, the emotions, the actions, the methods, the people, and numerous other aspects of these personal best experiences. In that initial study we collected and analyzed over 1,300 written cases and conducted 42 in-depth interviews. In the last twenty-five years we’ve gathered thousands more personal best cases.

When we first analyzed the initial set of personal-best cases, we discovered that the situations people chose to discuss were about major change that had a significant impact on their organizations. This remains true today. Regardless of function, field, sector, level, or country, the leaders in our study talked about times when they turned around losing operations, started up new plants, developed new products or services, passed a groundbreaking piece of legislation, campaigned to get adolescents to join an environmental program, revolutionized a bureaucratic military program, installed untested procedures, renewed operations threatened with closing, or released the creative spirit trapped inside stifling bureaucratic systems. The personal-best leadership cases were about radical departures from the past, about doing things that had never been done before, about going to places not yet discovered. In many cases, the magnitude of results was in the hundreds of percent.

What’s significant about the emphasis on change and innovation in our leadership cases is that we didn’t ask people to tell us about change. We asked them to tell us about personal-best leadership experiences. They could discuss any leadership experience—past or present, unofficial or official, in any functional area, in any type of organization, and in any situation. Our respondents chose to talk about times of change. They told us they performed at their best when they were changing something, trying something new, or stretching themselves. Not one single person claimed to have achieved a personal best by keeping things the same.

When people think about their personal bests they automatically think about a challenge. Why? The fact is that when times are stable and secure, we’re not severely tested. We may perform well, get promoted, even achieve fame and fortune, but the evidence suggests that we don’t reach our fullest potential during ordinary times. Certainty and routine breed complacency. In contrast, personal and business hardships have a way of making us come face to face with who we really are and what we’re capable of becoming.

The study of leadership, then, is the study of how men and women guide us through adversity, uncertainty, hardship, disruption, transformation, transition, recovery, new beginnings, and other significant challenges. It’s also the study of how men and women, in times of constancy and complacency, actively seek to disturb the status quo and awaken us to new possibilities. Leadership and challenge are simply inseparable.

As we make choices about the people we select for leadership roles—whether it's a new supervisor, a new CEO, a club officer, a local official, or the President of the United States—we must ask ourselves, "Who is the person who is most likely to challenge the way we do things around here? Who is the person who's going to bring about the most lasting change, change that moves us farther along the path toward our vision of greatness?"

Change is the work of leaders. And the primary leadership challenge is getting extraordinary things done, especially when that challenge tests us to the limits of our capabilities.

Posted by Jim Kouzes

The Naked Violin

One of the benefits of posting regularly on a blog is you are always thinking about potential topics of interest for consideration, topics that provide unique, hopefully interesting perspectives on leadership. You end up having your feelers out all the time. It's fun and kind of addictive. My latest find came from listening to NPR this past week. I heard a compelling piece about a  young woman who is demonstrating  remarkable leadership while staying true to her art. Her name is Tasmin Little and this piece revolves around her latest album titled The Naked Violin. Tasmin is a concert violinist who has a vision for getting more people to share her love of the violin. She decided to go against the powerful norms of the music industry, challenge the process, and make the album available as a free download. When asked why, she replied, "The simple answer is it's about removing barriers." In other words, enabling others to act. But making the music more available was just part of her overall plan. Her goal was to get those who listen to more mainstream music to stretch a bit. She encouraged them to experiment and take some risks. She included with each piece of music a descriptor and tutorial providing deeper insight into the subtleties and nuances of the music. She challenged them to seriously consider the music and enabled them to do so. Her next step is where her leadership jumped out for me. After getting to know the music she challenged them to buy a cd or attend a concert. If they weren't willing to do that, she asked that they write her and explain why. "If not, why not? What would it take to get you interested?" She actively sought out a partnership with her potential audience in order to extend the reach of the music she loves. Her commitment to the vision of making violin music more mainstream is underscored by her plans this coming year to take it to those who won't get an opportunity to hear it otherwise; for example, a women's prison. If you get a chance to download the cd, I would highly recommend it. You may well find yourself enlisted in her vision.
posted by,
Beth High

Required reading for our next leader

I am a big Bill Moyers fan. His interviewing style is graceful and mindful, and he always makes me more curious. Recently on his web presence The Bill Moyers Journal, he posed the question: What one book would you recommend as essential reading for the next president of the United States? The recommendations have been pouring in and they are fascinating. Watch the video.

I started thinking about what book I would recommend and immediately knew I'd have a hard time picking just one, but that's the game. As I struggled with this I started reflecting on my list. I had fiction and non-fiction, current authors and classics, philosophers and business writers. And yes, I had The Leadership Challenge. I saw no pattern until I took a walk and reflected on my list and heard my husbands. It then occurred to me that this list was a reflection of my deepest held values.  It also showed me my hopes and expectations for the person next filling this most important office. During a recent workshop, when we were discussing values and the role they play in being credible leaders, someone asked if instead of identifying our values and then checking how our behaviors align with them, would it be possible to do the opposite. That is, could you observe your behavior and from that determine your values? I'm thinking, yes. Since I have gone through the exercise several times, it's been fun to reflect on my behavior and see if indeed it has been driven from the values I say I espouse. Creating your recommended reading list is the same kind of exercise. It's a fun way to reflect on what you truly value. I encourage you to play the game and discuss it with someone who loves books as much as you do.

I need to stop now, I have a lot of reading to do.
Posted by
Beth High

Gratitude Is the Best Reward

About once a week I am blessed to receive an email from a reader who passes along an uplifting story about a leader who exemplifies one of The Five Practices. Two weeks ago it was a note about coach Noel Klippenstein at Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia that prompted me to write about youth leadership. This week it's a story passed along by Beth Anderson, Diaconal Minister at Concordia College in Moorehad, Minnesota. Beth told us about a bank in Fargo, North Dakota, the State Bank and Trust, that "thoroughly illustrates the points you are making about Encouraging the Heart…" They've been featured on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and Beth pointed us to the video link about the "Generous Bank Pays It Forward." Click on the link and take a look and listen for yourself.

When asked what they don't like about the bank, State Bank and Trust employees say things like "I haven't found anything yet," "I have to go home," and, with tongue in cheek, management "smiles too much." It's not surprising to learn that this feeling of love for the company is a result of a very conscious strategy. The mission of State Bank and Trust, says Michael Solberg, Chief Operating Officer, is "happy employees, happy customers."

Last year the bank did something quite unusual. In addition to the more traditional year-end bonus and contribution to employees' 401K plan, State Bank and Trust granted an extra $1,000 bonus with one important condition. The money could not be given to an employee, nor could it be given to a family member. It had to be paid forward to a person in need in the community, and the good deed had to be documented for everyone to see.

One woman paid for an abandoned kitten to get life-saving surgery. Another gave it to a young, struggling new widow, and another bought DVDs and DVD players for the local cancer ward. The faces on the employees, as they passed along the money to those in need, communicated the central message. Giving to others brought great joy and happiness to those who gave. As correspondent Steve Hartman reports, "this gift of giving is truly the best bonus they have ever gotten."

A feeling of gratitude is, in fact, one of the secrets to happiness. In her book The How of Happiness, Sonia Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, writes "The expression of gratitude is a kind of metastrategy for achieving happiness. Gratitude is many things to many people. It is wonder; it is appreciation; it is looking at the bright side of a setback; it is fathoming abundance; it is thanking someone in your life; it is thanking God; it is 'counting blessings.'" She then goes on to cite research that demonstrates that "People who are consistently grateful have been found to be relatively happier, more energetic, and more hopeful and to report more experiencing more positive emotions." Grateful individuals are also more helpful and more forgiving than those who are less disposed to gratefulness. Is it any coincidence, then, that the folks at State Bank and Trust are so happy?

Gratitude, according to Lyubomirsky, boosts happiness it eight ways. First, it promotes savoring positive life experiences. Second, expressing gratitude increases a sense of self-worth. Third, it helps you cope with stress. Fourth, it encourages moral behavior. Fifth, gratitude helps build social bonds. Sixth, it inhibits envy. Seventh, because gratitude is incompatible with negative emotions it can diminish anger and bitterness. And lastly, it keeps us from taking the good things for granted.

The next time you want to uplift your own spirits, make a gratitude list. Reflect on and make a list of three to five things for which you are grateful at that moment. (Lyubomirsky recommends that we do this daily.) And encourage your constituents to do the same. Maybe you could even start your next team meeting by having everyone go around the room and complete the sentence, "today I am grateful for….." It may not be a conventional business meeting opener, but think about how happy everyone will be when they hear all that positive stuff.

And let me reveal a personal secret. Every morning when I wake up I look at my wife and I tell her, "I am the luckiest man in the world." That's how I feel, and it sure does help us both to start the day on a positive note.

Thank you for reading this blog. I am truly grateful for your interest.

Posted by
Jim Kouzes