Be a Grace-filled and Grateful Leader

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Leading with grace in our modern world may seem counterintuitive – it rarely gets the attention that audacity and swagger may elicit. But a graceful leadership style builds trust and collaboration among your team and your colleagues. And it all begins with gratitude.

I learned many years ago that grace is about gratitude. To lead is a privilege, partially earned and partially due to all sorts of luck. Leading with grace means you are grateful for the opportunity to lead, and are thankful to those around you.

No leader can go it alone. Leading well means relying on others. Those who trust you to lead them and those on whom you depend deserve your gratitude. A 2018 Inc. article by Michael Kay entitled Why Expressing Gratitude Is Crucial In Business explains how employing gratitude can yield unexpected results.

To lead is a privilege, partially earned and partially due to all worts of luck.

Why does being a grace-filled and grateful leader matter? Executives attribute 64% of a strategic initiative’s success or failure to their employees. So, leaders must build strong connections with their teams before they can achieve successful outcomes.

Yes, it’s true – gratitude is connected to successful outcomes!  People trust leaders who are genuine and grateful.

Start today by building grace-filled and grateful practices into your leadership.  Our world needs some of this right now!

Sherri Miller, Founder and CEO
Center For Extraordinary Success
E-mail me     Connect on LinkedIn

Leading With Grace

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What does it mean to “lead with grace” in today’s world?

To lead with grace is to be at the service of others. When we are gracious, we make others feel at ease and give them an opportunity to feel graceful themselves. To lead with grace is to recognize that true leadership is not about you.

Grace is defined as an intentional act of unmerited favor or an inclination to promote others’ interests and bring them joy.  Yet grace is more than just an action – it is a deeply spiritual word.

Grace can seem nostalgic and countercultural in today’s harsh and coarse world.

Grace is where style and substance meet. Grace can seem superficial, but when properly understood, it is genuinely profound. Grace is a way of moving through the physical world and a way of touching the realm of the spiritual.  It is a concept that is evocative and elusive.  Grace can also seem nostalgic and countercultural in today’s harsh and coarse world. Brashness and bravado are rewarded far more often than the gentler and subtler act—and art—of grace.

When unsure what to do or how to respond to workplace challenges, go with grace. Ask yourself what it would mean to act graciously.  By leading with grace, you create opportunities for others to be their graceful best, whether they are your children or your colleagues.

Leading with grace will always help you find the best possible outcome.  Embrace your grace, cultivate it, and share it with colleagues and the world, which desperately needs it.

Lead with grace.

Sherri Miller, Founder and CEO
Center For Extraordinary Success
E-mail me     Connect on LinkedIn

We Are All Leaders During a Crisis

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We often think of “leadership” as a specific role within a company. But in reality, we are all leaders – especially in times of crisis. Whether your organization has one employee or thousands, each is a potential leader who can step up during challenging times no matter what their role is.

How do you tap into this leadership potential? Here are some ideas:

Brainstorm

What a great time to practice finding solutions together! Gather your team virtually to discuss top priorities right now. Create a list of solutions to address the situation, including those that may be unthinkable.  Engage employees from all levels of your staff – they experience uncertain times through a different lens and may offer insights that differ from your own. Once a solution is agreed upon, determine the who, what, when, and how of implementation. Have a daily or weekly call for updates, changes, and progress.

Engage employees from all levels of your staff – they experience uncertain times through a different lens and may offer insights that differ from your own. 

Engage

Employees thrive when they are empowered with as much direction, certainty, and involvement as possible. By listening to your team members’ unique perspectives and knowledge, you show that you value and respect them. Communicate clearly and often during times of crisis and invite feedback from your team. Many leaders believe this approach may diminish their authority – not true. This strategy will strengthen a leader’s executive presence and earn the respect of their employees.

Don’t Go It Alone

In the end, you cannot do leadership alone. It’s all about building trust through the way you treat people, and how you show compassion for their concerns.  When you have the trust of your staff, you can make smarter decisions and anticipate the needs of your employees more clearly.

Contact me if you need help empowering your employees to be leaders.

Sherri Miller, Founder and CEO
Center For Extraordinary Success

How Leaders Can Build Trust During Uncertain Times

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When faced with uncertainty, people want strong, confident, and decisive leaders who are also transparent and vulnerable enough to express genuine care and concern. Here are five things you can do to ensure that you never lose the trust, loyalty, and support you desire from others.

Listen To Your Team

Leading through uncertainty is a critical experience for you, but it can have greater significance for your employees. This is not a time to “wait and see.” Your employees are deeply concerned about their families, health, and careers. Ask yourself, “What can I do today to listen to my team?” and respond to their concerns in a timely manner. Reach out to large or small teams through Facebook groups, teleconferences, video calls, or other channels.

Nothing reveals your true leadership style like guiding your team through uncertainty.

Show Respect

Respecting others could be the most important tool we can employ now.  Whether you agree or disagree with orders to self-quarantine, social distancing or limiting travel, we must respect the experts who are leading us through this devastating time.  Respect the concerns of your employees, too, no matter how trivial they may seem to you. Create a plan that respects their needs and share that plan with your team.

Be Transparent

Leaders often feel compelled to have ALL the answers.  During times of uncertainty, no one has all the answers, so be transparent and admit it. Go ahead and say “We are in this together and will figure things out together” or “I am working on this issue and expect to have a plan by [date] and will debrief you by [date],” then follow through on that promise. Being transparent is key to building trust.

Be Honest and Consistent

When someone asks you a question, give them an honest answer. Don’t dance around the issues. Even if you must share bad news, your staff would rather know than not know. If you aren’t authorized to discuss a particular topic with the entire staff, be honest about it. As you develop plans, ensure that your leadership team knows what’s confidential and what can be shared. Leaked information can undermine your leadership ability, tarnish your reputation, and erode loyalty.

Reveal Your Executive Presence

Nothing uncovers your true leadership style like guiding your team through uncertainty. The way you compose yourself, your reactions to negative dialogue, and how you handle office politics will expose your ability to lead in a crisis.  Always be present and compassionate, yet decisive. And after the crisis is over, you will have gained valuable insight to carry you through the next one.

Strong leaders always seek to improve. Contact me to learn how you can grow as a leader.

Sherri Miller, Founder and CEO
Center For Extraordinary Success