IT Leadership

There is no doubt that being a leader and a manager of people is a stressful role that comes with immense responsibility. People who are new to management roles often say things like “I used to be able to just focus on my work and do a great job, but now I have to manage people and it’s so much harder!” or “I love the work we do in our department, but managing people drains me and it feels like a burden.”

When we move into leadership roles, we often focus on developing the skills we need to manage other people, perhaps learning how to give constructive feedback, coaching skills, or how to run a performance improvement plan. All of these skills are essential to being a great leader.

However, the foundation of any leadership journey must first be grounded in leading yourself. Whether you are new to management or you have been leading others for a long time, here are three ways to focus on leading yourself through the practice of gratitude.

1. Gratitude Creates Awareness Of Our Impact

When we are focused on our own individual work, we only have to consider our own impact on our tasks and our productivity.

When we transition into leadership roles, our impact expands to include the team we are leading. This can be a significant mindset shift for new leaders and managers. Simply put, gratitude creates an awareness of our impact.

Try reflecting on these questions:

• What impact do you want to have on the people you lead?
• How do you want your team to describe working for you in one year from now?

Gratitude is the foundation that allows us to acknowledge the impact we have on others and fosters an awareness of our leadership footprint, which is essential for long-term success.

2. Gratitude Is The Catalyst For Positive Change

Leaders who embrace gratitude are more likely to seek out and celebrate the successes of their team. They are also more likely to foster an environment of celebrating the wins, no matter how small they might be. Celebrating wins (both big and small) boosts morale and creates a culture of recognition.

Additionally, gratitude is a catalyst for positive change. Those leading with gratitude can more easily pivot during times of change or when obstacles arise. When faced with challenges, leaders who lead with gratitude ask questions like:

• What is the opportunity in this situation?
• How might we solve this problem in a way that also opens up new possibilities we hadn’t considered before?
• What good may come from this situation that we wouldn’t have been able to achieve before?

Leading yourself with gratitude creates an optimism that ripples out to your team and those around you.

3. Gratitude Strengthens Your Emotional Regulator

Emotional regulation is the ability to control and change your emotions in response to situations, and to respond resiliently to negative situations. Being able to do this is a key marker of psychological resilience and flexibility, and it is also a critical skill for leaders.

Leaders who have this skill can pivot quickly when unexpected news or challenges arise, they can remain calm under pressure, and they can also quickly recover from mistakes. Gratitude helps to strengthen your emotional regulator, helping you to become a stronger leader.

Try these two techniques to strengthen your emotional regulator:

• Look back on a situation that didn’t go as planned and identify 3 positive things that came from the situation, even if they are small.
• Reflect on a challenging situation that you navigated well. What did you do? What resources did you tap into? How did you maintain your emotional balance?

Leaders who are more able to regulate their emotions can more accurately assess a situation and respond effectively under pressure.

Emotional regulation is a key skill for leaders to navigate the complexities of managing people and complex business situations. Gratitude doesn’t just strengthen your emotional regulator, it also helps you to become more resilient and optimistic in the face of challenges.

Gratitude is not just about saying “thank you” to others, it is a cornerstone of leadership and developing a leadership mindset that can navigate the complexities of managing others and creating positive change. Get comfortable leading yourself first with gratitude, and you will be better equipped to lead your team and create the impact you want to have.