Episode 13: How Gratitude Can Make You A Happier And More Effective Leader

Big Takeaways

• There are at least 31 benefits of gratitude that are backed by over 40 research studies
• Two of those benefits are: you will be a happier person and a more effective leader
• You will be a happier person because gratitude will help you feel good emotionally, it will reduce comparison thinking and it will help you bounce back more quickly from negative emotions.
• Gratitude will help you be a more effective leader because 81% of employees work harder for a grateful boss, you will get better at giving specific praise and you will create a better culture at your school.
• It is difficult to express gratitude for everyday things because of hedonic adaptation. Hedonic adaptation is an adaptation-level phenomenon, which is a term that describes how humans become insensitive to new stimuli, and quickly readjust to an emotional baseline.
• There are three strategies that you can use to be more grateful

• 1) Put on your “gratitude glasses” (View everything through the lens of being thankful for people and material possessions. Start thinking about how you “get to” to things instead of that you “have to” do things
• 2) Start a weekly gratitude practice (journal)
• 3) Thank someone once a week (specific, meaningful praise)

Call to Action

• Start a weekly gratitude practice. It could be a journal that you write in once a day or a couple of times a week. It could be just mentally listing everything that you are thankful for once a week while you are doing something else.
• 4 years ago, getting intentional about gratitude changed my life. I want that same thing for you.

CLICK HERE for article on 31 Benefits of Gratitude Backed by Science

CLICK HERE for Diagram of the 31 Benefits of Gratitude

CLICK HERE for EWF Article 

CLICK HERE for The 8 Best Gratitude Apps

If you implement any of these strategies at your school, I would love to hear from you! Send me a quick note at [email protected] and tell me about it. I can answer your questions and I’m also good at giving pep talks when you get stuck!

CLICK HERE for a bunch of free resources, including Plug & Play PD's (video webinars with guided notes) for you to use with your teachers, Top Lists of Leadership Books, Productivity Books, TED Talks and much more!

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Music by Twisterium from Pixabay