Why gratitude should be your number one core value.

There are few things in the world that science is as sure of as the positive effects of gratitude, yet it’s something that is rarely put to use. Creating a positive, effective, burn-out free and creative culture is just as easy as introducing gratitude. Don’t just believe me, just look at these videos.

Let’s start with an introductory one to explain the reasoning:

The advantages of being grateful on a personal and organizational level are unbelievable. Being thankful makes you appreciate what’s already there, which greatly reduces stress. That in turn leaves more room for focussed decision making and creative thinking. Look at the video of Lea here to find out more advantages for your organization:

By the way, gratitude is said to be the number one driver for happiness.

It’s not only good for our mental health as it seems:

And if you’re a person that cannot be convinced with reasoning, there’s a little more emotional proof in this one:

Gratitude is a contagious emotion. If you express gratitude often, people are going to love helping you out and will want to work with you. That also counts for help you’re looking for outside of your team. If you’re looking for a mentor, that person is way more likely to stick around if you show them how grateful you are for their help. So it’s something you’ll see happening around you once you start doing it.

So go ahead and start building habits that revolve around gratitude. Do a friday evening thank you round with the team, write cards to thank people in the organization (on their birthday for example), have a fun game of ‘high fives’ on your next christmas party and urge people to do random acts of kindness (without expecting anything in return).

And if you’re still yearning for some gratitude, here’s Matthew McConaughey winning an oscar: