A Leaders List of Thanks

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As many in the United States are making their final Thanksgiving Day preparations, this week seemed an appropriate time to examine those things for which leaders are often most thankful. Some will make you smile, others may have you nodding in agreement and all to which you relate might be worthy of a share with your fellow leaders, too. Let’s take this time of year to be thankful for all we have as leaders and perhaps even all we’ve made disappear and are no longer leading….

You are a leader

You’ve taken on the responsibility of a position or created your own in your own business and are now the leader of other team members.

You are able to close your mouth

When leading others, there are times when you wish you could say things you simply cannot or likely should not, so today, be grateful for that closure mechanism in your jaw that, at times, keeps you in your leadership role, not to mention employed.

You led them to achieve great things

This year, you’ve taken on projects, conquered a big number with flying colors, and overcome any number of barriers to be where you are as a team. Bravo and congratulations! Be grateful for the progress you’ve made in your own work and in the work of others.

You made them disappear

You led the team to tackle every problem and leap over every proverbial building that stood in your way, one of which happened to be a difficult team member that you led to the door and encouraged to grow elsewhere. Be grateful that person followed your lead and disappeared, no longer on the team.

You built new skills and learned new things

With every change, every merger, every new team member and every new leadership adventure, you learn and develop new skills that are useful. Be grateful for your new found knowledge and ability to absorb it at the lightning speed at which things seem to keep changing these days.

You missed

Sometimes as leaders, the speed of change, the gotta secs, and the never ending items added to your list in the face of a continually unclear process of how you’re now to do the job of six people, can be overwhelming. Be grateful that in that heated moment when you couldn’t take it anymore and desperately needed a stress release, when you picked up the pen and threw it across the room, that you missed leaving a permanent mark on the wall so no one would find out.

You hit the mark

Leadership can be messy. It has ups and downs. It has moments that make you want to buy pom-poms for the whole team and moments when you wish they’d all leave. It has moments when you and your boss are in total sync and moments when you wonder what memory erasing potion he or she had to drink. Accepting each and every moment is part of the process. Learning to lead through every moment is part of leadership. If you’ve been a leader, learned to do it better, built on your mistakes, and managed to lead others, while no one got hurt, in your own unique style, you’ve hit the mark and are right on track. Be grateful you’ve come this far.

Whether you celebrate the holiday this year with friends, family, colleagues or acquaintances, spend a moment or two sharing a giggle. Sit back and allow yourself to realize that even far beyond your role, or your job, your title, or your pay, your stresses, and the things about which we complain in life, that if you’re able to access, read, and absorb the humor and enjoyment of today’s Monday Moment, you already have so much to be grateful for this holiday season.

I’m Monica Wofford and that’s your Monday Moment. Have a great Monday, an even better Thanksgiving holiday, and of course, stay contagious!