Leaders Bring the Weather (and a key mindset to pay attention to)

If you’ve ever attended one of our programs, you have likely heard me say: “Leaders bring the weather.”

It is true, and often happens at an unconscious level . . .

When you enter the office, sign on to a Zoom or Teams meeting, or speak the first word on a conference call, you bring the ‘weather’. Energetically and practically.

Anger, frustration, or intensity brings storm clouds.

Being grounded, calm, confident, optimistic and purposeful brings sunshine.

The “weather you bring” as a leader is the starting place for whether you will inspire and motivate your team or discourage and demotivate them.

In addition to a catch phrase we suggest for self-management: “be curious, not furious,” this month’s newsletter includes another very important mindset shift and a practical application exercise to help you bring better weather for your team.

A Key to Bringing Better Weather: An Attitude of Gratitude

The average person working 40 hours a week will invest 90k – 100k hours of their life at work. Wow! That is a lot of hours!

People often spend more of their waking hours at work than they do with their own families.

At the end of the day, every employee (and leader) wants to know that who they are and what they do matters. Some of the stats from Gallup, Workhuman, and Harvard Business Review confirm this:

? Employees who feel recognized are 4x more likely to be engaged than those who do not feel appreciated

? 79% of employees are more likely to stay with their employer if they feel appreciated for their work, and

? Employees who receive appreciation regularly report less stress and a 23% increase in overall well-being.

Expressing gratitude and appreciation in the workplace isn’t just a nice idea . . . it is an important aspect of leadership that has a powerful impact and translates to:

?? increased employee engagement

?? reduced unwanted turnover

?? reduced stress level

?? increased productivity, and

?? overall employee satisfaction

. . . truly a win-win for you, your employees and your business!

Practicing an attitude of gratitude and appreciation is not only effective and helpful for your team and organization, it is also extremely important and beneficial for YOUR overall health and well-being. According to several studies, practicing an attitude of gratitude results in:

???? Increased Resilience

?? Stronger Social Connections

???? Improved Physical Health

???? Better Sleep

?? Enhanced Mental Health

I love what Tony Robbins says: “Where focus goes, energy flows.” If we, as leaders, focus our energy on gratitude, then we notice MORE to be grateful for! ??

End of Year “Attitude of Gratitude” Exercise

While this exercise is intended to spark thought and reflection over the past year, this process can definitely be used on a more frequent and regular basis.

For now, let’s use it as a way to hone in your mindset to bring “better weather” to your team! Here are the 4 steps:

ONE. Set the environment.

Find a private, comfortable location where you can spend some quiet time alone and uninterrupted. Choose the time of day when you tend to feel your best. Maybe grab a cup of coffee and your journal or note taking app.

TWO. Reflect and consider.

Spend some time thinking about each of your team members and all of the work-related activities/projects over the last 11 months. Consider the following questions:

● ? What are the events/circumstances you’ve all experienced this last year?

● ? What things are you proud that you/your team have accomplished this year?

● ? What have you learned about yourself? Your team?

● ? What key challenges have each of you overcome?

●?? In what ways have each of you grown?

● ? What are some of the key meaningful moments/memories from the year?

● ? How has each team member played a role in your life and work this year?

● ? How has each one contributed to the progress of the overall team?

● ? What role has each team member played in your life and work this year?

● ? What do you most appreciate about each one of them?

● ? What and who are you especially thankful for?

THREE. Write what comes to mind.

Take time to write some of your answers to these questions. You can create categories for yourself and for each team member, with a list of bullet points under each:

?? Accomplishments

?? Memorable Moments

?? Lessons Learned

?? Challenges & Areas of Growth

?? Specific Gratitude Points

Or just write one big list of bullet points with thoughts, memories, and gratitude points that come to mind. Whatever works best for you.

FOUR. Share what’s there.

Looking back and being intentional to notice what you are or can be grateful for is a great mindset shift for you as a leader. It’s even more impactful when you share the experience with others.

Consider taking the additional step of “sharing what’s there” by meeting with your team (either one-on-one or as a group) to share your observations and express your gratitude and appreciation for some of the specific points you noted.

??Bonus Tip: You can also do this exercise by inviting all of your team to think about how they might answer these questions in advance. Then, schedule time as a group for YOU and each of the team members to share answers and observations – as a way to celebrate and wrap up the year. ??

This month, as we celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S., I want to express MY gratitude to each of you for being in this journey with me this year! ??

And a special shout out to all of my clients, colleagues, and friends who cheered ME on during the journey of launching my book in September of this year!

*** Big hugs again to ALL of you! You know who you are!! ??***

P.S. If you haven’t already, remember to grab copies of my book for your leadership team by clicking on the link below . . . to learn and practice The Coach Approach to Leadership principles together!????

"Ditch Command & Control Leadership: Transform Your Leaders from Boss to Coach"

?? Wishing each of you the very best this Thanksgiving holiday season! ??

~ Alissa

Alissa DeWitt, MCC, CPC, CERS,?is the Founder, CEO and?Executive Leadership Coach at Executive Impact, an organization dedicated to developing coach leaders and building leadership dream teams. With 30+ years in business and leadership, expertise in human behavior working with leaders from the front line to the C-Suite, and competencies as a Master Certified Coach, Alissa is the creator of ‘The Coach Approach to Leadership.'