Gratitude: The Missing Ingredient

Everyone wants to be appreciated, whether a mother for all her effort or a worker for successfully completing the task. So often in the rush of getting things done we forget those having a part in the success. We take for granted the effort and then wonder why less enthusiasm is shown when we again enlist help. Leadership not only bears responsibility for getting things done, but also enlisting others in the effort. Effective leaders understand they cannot succeed by themselves.
The art of honest appreciation is important and leaders must know their staff and be aware of the specific needs of each member. In his classic book, “Leadership is An Art” Max DePree wrote “the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality, the last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor.” It is in that servant attitude wrapped in the willingness to say and show thanks that a true leader shows his or her true gratitude. The workplace is not the only place that gratitude is the missing ingredient. In fact, the workplace is just a reflection of the general society.

We are, as a group, an ungrateful lot. We have more than any society in history and yet, we just want more. An example of our ingratitude is the way we receive and deal with gifts. In the past the gift was a sign of love and received with appreciation. Today, if the gift isn’t exactly what we want we return or exchange it. The spirit of the gift has died. In fact we collect lists and give gift cards because we already have so much we really need nothing. In my lifetime I have gone from taking the twenty yard hike to the outhouse and taking a bath in a metal bathtub to living in a wonderful house with indoor plumbing. However, just a week ago I found myself sitting in the dark without electricity and complaining about it. It brought back memories of coal oil lamps and dim, inconsistent lighting.

What a great life we have and how thankful we should be. We need not look far to find out how good we have it. Daily we see others less fortunate with physical or mental challenges. We have the right to live and work where we choose. We are limited only by our courage to decide what we want. We need to pause from time to time and show gratitude for all that we have been given.