Connect to Gratitude and Light Up Your Brand
Updated: Jul 31, 2019
In today’s 24/7 world, your brand doesn’t get a day off. The light is always on, even if the glow it casts dims and brightens. With this heavy-load, your brand requires fuel for its long journey; new inspiration to stay relevant and purpose-driven. A surefire way to infuse your brand with a fresh dose of positive energy is with a deliberate practice of gratitude. It’s scientifically proven and a life-changer for those who use it--including Oprah who says a daily practice of gratitude was the best decision she ever made. Grounding your brand to the energy of gratitude invites presence, connection, and positive results--and it starts with you.
As a leader you are a direct power source. How do you refuel? When the external pressures of financial challenges are compounded by operations and HR issues, don’t forget to breathe. Running on stress and anxiety is counter-productive and leads to poor decisions and unfortunate mistakes. The swiftest way to shift out of a state of anxiety is to shift into a state of gratitude. You cannot feel fear and gratitude at the same time. Be grateful for the window in your office, laughter down the hall, or your comfortable shoes, it doesn’t matter. When your attention elicits a positive emotion, you trigger a cascade of physiological renewal. You immediately start feeling better.
Not only is gratitude good for your personal health, but it’s also good for your business.
According to Glassdoor’s Employee Appreciation Survey, 81% of employees say they’re motivated to work harder when their boss shows appreciation for their work. Compare this to 37% of employees who report fear of losing their job as motivation to work harder and gratitude wins hands down. Want to improve performance? Say thank you to your staff.
People respond to gratitude in ways that can transform the workplace. While in a state of gratitude, our production of dopamine and serotonin increases. These neurotransmitters communicate to the happiness center of the brain and through regular practice, the neural pathways become stronger and more automatic. It’s Hebb’s Rule: Neurons that fire together, wire together.
Modeling gratitude in the workplace is easy. You can start by kicking off meetings with a simple, “Today I am grateful for...” and set a tone of graciousness in the room. This vibrational shift of energy reverberates beyond your staff and starts flowing to your customers, clients, vendors, and partners. Through customer and stakeholder interactions, your brand emits your level of appreciation. In the opening and closing of a transaction, it’s an expression from your heart that says you matter to me. Adopting an attitude of gratitude breaks down silo mentality and prevents your branding efforts from being relegated to only the marketing department. Now even Susan in accounting is a brand ambassador.
Overall, gratitude is a mindset that reaps dividends in employee retention, customer satisfaction, and brand equity. Proactive and rudimentary, a deliberate practice of gratitude has the ability to differentiate you from competitors. There is no downside. With science to back it up, it’s an astute business decision that will invigorate your brand, your employees, and your bottom line.
Thank you for getting all the way through my latest blog.
Take a moment to recharge your battery with a dose of gratitude from Lynne Twist, Eckhart Tolle, and Tony Robbins... to get you started.