12 Rules of Kindness - Rule 7: Celebrate wins, even if they aren’t your own

When I look at leadership today, it concerns me. It concerns my team, my daughter, my peers and those I care about. At times we can get despondent about leadership and who we see leading our companies, communities and countries especially in the media. In turn, we still see and hear stories of poor leadership, bullying and tall poppy syndrome.?

This needs to STOP especially for our youth and future generations. I know we can’t stop all the bullying, the impact of poor leadership and management and others pulling others down however we can start somewhere. We know there are so many great leaders out there. We work with them every day and there are stories of remarkable leaders. There are businesses, people and unsung heroes who are making an impact. We are on a mission to change these examples and stories of poor leadership and share more great leadership. Our mission is to create a world of kind, courageous and inclusive leaders and leadership. I want that world for our future generations and leaders and for my daughter.

I started looking at how we acknowledge, celebrate and showcase those leaders, businesses and people. How do we celebrate those leaders who lead with great values and actions? Those leaders and people who inspire others to do more, learn more and be more.?Those businesses and leaders who lead with kindness, courage and authenticity and only want the best for those around them. Those people who know that to get the best results takes diversity and inclusiveness in their businesses and embrace everyone for their uniqueness. Those leaders who get results however they know to get results and performance from their people means to practice kindness, courage, compassion and empathy.

How do we?

We saw that there are Awards and Events that celebrate success and growth but we couldn’t find a platform that celebrates great leadership and leaders who lead with significance. Awards that showcase leaders who lead with their values and kindness or awards that acknowledge great actions and behaviours of remarkable leaders and people. One way to change the world of leadership is to bring what is truly important and critical today in leadership and acknowledge it and celebrate it. Don’t you think? Leadership is about making a difference and impact.

My dream for many years is to bring this platform of change to the forefront of Australia and the Globe and launch Awards that embrace people, businesses and leaders who are doing remarkable things and making a difference. We need to celebrate leadership differently and show the world that there are great leaders and businesses leading with kindness and courage.

It is NOW launched and we are beyond excited and humbled to bring this to everyone through our Leadership Awards.

Celebrating wins can apply in a number of ways relating to a business context, with teams, in relationships and for ourselves. On a broader note, Jacqueline Walker an author who honours women in her work, indicates that achieving success is something that practically ALL of us strive for, feeling accomplished, attaining our goals and see our dreams become reality. We want to live that purpose that we feel deep inside. Every day, the quest for success drives us. Jacqueline also asks the question however, how do you feel when a friend, family member, or acquaintance succeeds BEFORE we do??Do you celebrate their success or do we hate what we see? Well, without a doubt, we should be happy for others Jacqueline shows 5 reasons why we need to celebrate the success of others:

• We need each other to succeed
• It?motivates?you?to?strive for your own?personal?success
• You care about the person and want to maintain your bond
• It can open doors for you through networking and referrals
• Keeping a positive attitude elevates you

My book, Leadership Attitude reminds up to focus on our tribe!

In relation to business teams, Kimberley Zhang an entrepreneur shows celebrating wins is even more important when you’re trying to keep your employees motivated, happy, and focused. Of course, there is a very large spectrum of activities referred to as “celebrating.” Email shout-outs, employees of the month, and even winning prizes all fall under the wide umbrella of professional celebrations. Kimberley asks, what is the most valuable way to celebrate a win on your team? She offers a few suggestions to help you take your team’s celebrations to the next level:

• Start with the Right Mindset
• Help Your Team Accept Praise
• Choose Constructive Rewards

For relationships with others, Tai Goodwin, author and founder of?Brilliant Business Girlfriends, a website and podcast, shows celebrating others can improve your relationships with them as well. “Healthy relationships involve sharing both ups and downs,” Goodwin writes. “People are more likely to respond positively to you if they sense that you’re truly happy for them.”

In the sporting arena, American football player and coach Vince Lombardi said, “The difference between?a successful person?and others is not a lack of strength, nor a lack of knowledge, but a lack of will.” Our own will can be awakened, in turn, when we see the success of others.

And overall, Najma Khorrami a writer for The Huffington Post indicated that celebrating others success will benefit you. Adopting a praising and loving attitude will help you bask in the success of those you know and with whom you feel a personal connection. This might be difficult at times, but it’s a great way to help us lead more positive lives and get more in return. Najma says that you can learn the benefits and see how your attitude shift can boost your well-being, which include the following:

• Health. If we celebrated others’ success as if it were our own, we could feel a huge surge in positivity and joy, which can lead to greater optimism, the latter benefiting our own health.
• Satisfaction. By being courageous and selfless enough to embrace others’ success, we also get the benefit of greater satisfaction. We feel fulfilled instead of bitter.
• Success. Not only does your inner circle of affiliations grow with others’ success, but you can also potentially find personal success.
• Willpower. Beyond seizing an available opportunity where possible, our sense of embracing others’ achievements helps to expand our own willpower.

Consider your tribe, who inspires you, how they have supported you to be how you are today and then acknowledge them for their successes!

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."?—Philo of Alexandria

The Author Sonia McDonald

Founder and CEO of Leadership HQ and McDonald Inc., Leadership coach, entrepreneur, CEO and author.?

Sonia McDonald is changing the face of leadership across the globe. She believes we should lead with kindness and courage, from the heart, and is known for her mantra ‘Just Lead’. She leads by example in all these areas and through her transformational coaching, leadership training programs and cultural transformation for organisations and encourages others to do the same. Sonia has helped thousands of people on their leadership journey to become the best version of themselves and in turn, inspire and bring out the best in others.

Sonia is a founder and CEO of?McDonald Inc.,?LeadershipHQ?and?Global Outstanding Leadership Awards?and the newly launched?Courage Conference. For more than 25 years, Sonia has been on the front lines of leadership and she is beyond committed to her mission around building a world of great leaders.

She has held leadership positions worldwide and through experience, research and study come to realise what it takes to be a truly great leader. She has been recognised by Richtopia as One of the Top 250 Influential Women across the Globe and Top 100 Australian Entrepreneurs.

Sonia has an ability to speak bravely and authentically about her own development as a leader, personal and career challenges in a way which resonates with her audience. She is a leading coach, an award-winning published author of newly released First Comes Courage, Leadership Attitude and Just Rock It! and has become an in-demand keynote speaker on leadership, kindness and courage.

Sonia has become recognised for her commentary around the topic of leadership, kindness, empathy and courage as well as building outstanding leadership across the Globe.