Leaders say "Thank You"

FIVE MINUTE LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP™
An Investment in Higher Achievement

PREPAREDNESS
• Prepare and take action to be uninterrupted for just five minutes.
• Close your eyes. Pause. Take three, deep, slow breaths while you clear your mind of everything else. (Really…it makes a difference!)
• Ask yourself: “What’s in it for me (WIFM) if I improve my leadership?” List at least two answers.
ACTIVITY

Read the following slowly, really thinking about what it could mean to you. It’s less important that you agree, than that you understand and explore the concept FULLY.

Wise leaders know they are solely responsible for surprisingly little of their personal and professional success, and that much of the credit belongs to teachers, mentors, colleagues, and team members. Sir Isaac Newton said, "If I have been able to see farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants." He attributed much of his remarkable success to work done by others.
Inspirational leaders invest energy in cultivating a habit of identifying those whose contributions are important and thanking them…sincerely offering genuine appreciation, not “technique-ing” them for the leader’s gain. And they do it with great specificity, so that the person knows exactly what “earned” the gratitude. They model appreciation of the contributions of vendors, service people, and those in positions subordinate to their own.
Extraordinary leaders help their teams develop a culture where authentic expressions of gratitude are everyday occurrences, not surprises (and, therefore, suspicious!). When saying “Thank You” becomes both habit and an inseparable part of the history and culture of the group, an amazing freedom occurs which opens up other avenues of connection and communication, producing additional synergy.
Many outstanding leaders actually give themselves a daily quota (remember the much quoted technique of starting the day with ten coins in your left pocket and moving one to the right each time you express thanks, the goal being to have all the coins on the right side before you head home?).

REFLECTION
Who helped you in the distant past that it’s still possible to thank?
Which chances to express gratitude have you missed and which are no longer available (i.e., you’ve lost track of the person or he or she has died)? Can you use that recollection to prevent it from happening with someone else?
Whom do you consider a teacher or mentor who may not view themselves as one or may not know that you see them that way?
What team members or direct reports deserve thanks (not just praise or an “Atta boy,” but gratitude for something)?

SELF-ASSESSMENT
Honestly, how do I rate in applying this concept with the folks with whom I interact?

How well do we incorporate expressing genuine gratitude into the culture of our organization?

ACTION PLAN
Identify one action you can take today (preferably right now!) to move toward implementation.
1)
List two things you can do this week to bring the power of ACTION to the words and concept!
1)
2)
Who else might you enlist to help you?

Who can you tell about your action plan to help insure accountability?

What positive outcome can you envision (in full-color, high-resolution detail!) coming from this improvement?