Grateful Leadership

©2012 International Institute for Learning, Inc., All rights reserved. 1Intelligence, Integrity and Innovation©2012 International Institute for Learning, Inc., All rights reserved.
Thank you for joining us today.
This webinar is brought to you by IIL – a global leader in:
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Leadership and Interpersonal Skills
Grateful Leadership™
Using the Power of Acknowledgment to Engage all your
People and Achieve Superior Results

©2012 International Institute for Learning, Inc., All rights reserved. 2Intelligence, Integrity and Innovation
Grateful Leadership Pioneers
New model of leadership (although individuals have
practiced it), like Servant Leadership was in the 1960s.
We are the pioneers…
An outstanding opportunity for
all of us!

One who expresses appreciation
for employees’ and other
stakeholders’ contributions.
One who acknowledges,
supports, and engages his/her
people profoundly on an
ongoing basis.
One who wants to know his/her
employees and other
stakeholders as people.
What is a Grateful Leader?

Acknowledgment is a heartfelt and authentic
communication that lets a person know his or her value
to the organization and the importance of the
contribution that he or she makes.
The Power of Acknowledgment
Umlas, Judith W. © 2006, IIL Publishing
What is Acknowledgment?

INTERACTIVE – Poll questions
1. When was the last time you were acknowledged?
2. When was the last time you acknowledged someone
else and communicated it to the person?
Acknowledgment

Creates a positive work
environment
Engages and retains top talent
Motivates stakeholders
Creates superior results
Self-actualization/
Self-transcendence
Why be a Grateful Leader?

Walter Robb
Co-CEO – Whole Foods Market
When you love what you do
and the people with whom you
work, you have a reason to be
grateful. When your business is
built from the passion and
creativity of your Team
Members, you have a reason to
feel blessed.
Why Be a Grateful Leader?
In Their Words

Being a Grateful Leader means that I use
my sphere of influence to better individuals,
who in turn better others, which in turn
betters the world...
Primitivo Davis
Brigade Chaplain, Third Brigade Combat Team – U.S. Army
In Their Words

7 Principles of Acknowledgment
For Aspiring Grateful Leaders:
1. Is deserved by many but received by few.
2. Builds trust, creates powerful interactions.
3. Can help diffuse jealousy and envy.
4. Energizes people – lack of acknowledgment diminishes.
5. Makes profound difference in life and work.
6. Improves physical and emotional well-being.
7. Needs to be practiced in different ways.

How to Be a Grateful Leader?
The Five Cs as a Tool:
1. Consciousness – become aware of acknowledgments
2. Choice – you can still always choose yes or no
3. Courage – needed when we feel vulnerable
4. Communications – deliver profoundly and authentically
5. Commitment – will align with your true mission, goals, and purpose

Captain Daniel E. Sosnowik
Commanding Officer, Leadership Training – NYPD
“The day I met Judy to discuss my role as a Grateful
Leader…was a bad day from many perspectives and I
was, in truth, lacking the very thing I had been asked to
speak about. I told my story as best I could, and after
our 20 minutes focused on gratitude, I found that my
entire perspective had changed for the better. Our
conversation became a staunch reminder that when a
person is focused on being grateful, there isn’t any room
left in one’s mind to stew in negativity.”
In Their Words

1. People who are colleagues
2. People on my team
3. People I manage
4. People for whom I work
Who to Acknowledge?
“Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human
being is…to be affirmed, to be validated, to be
appreciated.”
- Stephen R. Covey

Sense of self-worth
Excitement, joy
Purpose for living
Sense of contribution
Documented physical changes – both for giver and
receiver
“Pay it forward” types of behavior
Repair of the world – one person at a time
Proven Effects of Acknowledgment on
Employees:

A Grateful Leader is one who really
believes in people’s potential and the
value of each and every person they
employ or rely upon, and help them
recognize their full potential.
Kimberly Supersano – Chief Marketing Officer – Prudential Annuities
In Their Words

Engaged employees work with passion and feel a
profound connection to their company.
Non-engaged employees are essentially “checked out.”
They’re sleepwalking through their workday, putting time,
but not energy or passion into their work.
Actively disengaged employees aren’t just unhappy at
work – they’re busy acting out their unhappiness.
Levels of Workforce Engagement
http://gmj.gallup.com/content/20770/
gallup-study-feeling-good-matters-in-the.aspx, accessed on 28Jan10

According to studies done by the Gallup Organization:
Gallup Organization Studies
http://gmj.gallup.com/content/20770/
gallup-study-feeling-good-matters-in-the.aspx, accessed on 28Jan10
59%

Gallup studies estimate U.S. productivity loss as
a result of disengaged employees – $300
billion/year.
According to a Society for Human Resource
Management (SHRM) Retention Practices
Survey, the number one reason people leave
their jobs is due to a “lack of appreciation.”
Business Impact

Improved Work Place Culture & Employee
Retention
Society for Human Resource
Management (SHRM) Study on
Retaining Talent shows:
Employee departures cost a company
time, money and other resources.
Total replacement costs can reach as
high as 90% to 200% of annual salary.
Example: $150,000 for an accounting professional

INTERACTIVE – One story, two different endings
Scenario #1 – Lack of acknowledgment by manager
• Feelings
• Results
Scenario #2 – Heartfelt acknowledgment by manager
• Feelings
• Results
Improved Work Place Culture & Employee
Retention – A Demonstration

INTERACTIVE – Think of a person you should but
don’t acknowledge, or don’t acknowledge enough:
Why should he or she be acknowledged?
Be specific!
Write a brief acknowledgment to that person.
Be generous! Make it heartfelt!
Are you willing to deliver it to him or her?
When?
Become a Grateful Leader Right Now
“Knock Your Socks Off” Power of Acknowledgment Exercise™

Are You a Grateful Leader?
Do you see yourself as a Grateful Leader, and assuming
you do, what does this mean to you?
If you do not, what do you feel is missing?
What can you do about it, right here, right now?
Share your thoughts with a partner.
INTERACTIVE – Some questions for reflection. Share your
answers with participants via text chat:

Conclusion
…one person can be a change catalyst, a
“transformer” in any situation, any
organization. Such an individual is yeast
that can leaven an entire loaf. It requires
vision, initiative, patience, respect,
persistence, courage, and faith to be a
transforming leader.
- Steven Covey
Changing an organization starts with one person.
Let that person be you.

Good Luck!

Grateful Leadership

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