“Gratitude is the greatest of all virtues.” – Roman Poet
When you see genuine gratitude in another person, recognize it. It is a rarity in today’s self-absorbed culture. These are people worth doing business and life with.
Of course there is cheap gratitude. It comes from disingenuous talk or gestures. It’s the insincere thank you or a lack of recognition of value. This is most people. Their hearts are not with you. They are for themselves alone. They are acting to get what they want instead of learning to connect and reciprocate. It is why most people are on guard in their dealings. We can sense both the overtly ungrateful as well as the opportunist and scavenger.
In the new economy, intangibles are continually becoming currency for trade. We deal in information, ideas, software, strategies, and many other knowledge-based exchanges. The players who operate in abundance can exchange freely and engage in fruitful business dealings. Those that have a scarcity mindset are stopgaps in this natural ecosystem.
Show gratitude sincerely. Do this by bringing value and reciprocating value when kindness has been shown to you. You need others to help you get to the success you desire. It is what has gotten you to where you are today and it is what will propel or limit you in your future opportunities.
Don,
I want to remind myself to read this article often. It is an article that should cause you to think. It is both encouraging and revealing. Gratitude is the plumb-line to the heart. Thank you for writing this article.
Very well stated, I’m of the belief from a management position that gratitude or the lack there of is the major pitfall of most corporations to day. Especially if you take in consideration Maslow’s Theory of hierarchy of needs.
Maslow hypothesized that within every human being there exist a hierarchy of five needs he separated the five needs into higher and lower orders, physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self actualization. I would argue with Maslow’s order. Esteem and or gratitude are in fact the most basic need of man. People need and want to now that they are appreciated and loved and know that they are accepted into the organization.
A good leader knows this but its unfortunate that far to may take a Machiavelli approach.
Using this knowledge not for the primary reason to build there followers but rather to promote there own agenda. There by coming off disingenuous.
Enjoyed the article Don.
Craig Stevens