Leading with gratitude : eight leadership practices for extraordinary business results /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The influential New York Times bestselling authors--the "apostles of appreciation" Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick--provide managers and executives with easy ways to add more gratitude to the everyday work environment to help bolster moral, efficiency, and profitability.



Workers want and need to know their work is appreciated. Showing gratitude to employees is the easiest, fastest, most inexpensive way to boost performance. New research shows that gratitude boosts employee engagement, reduces turnover, and leads team members to express more gratitude to one another--strengthening team bonds. Studies have also shown that gratitude is beneficial for those expressing it and is one of the most powerful variables in predicting a person's overall well-being--above money, health, and optimism. The WD-40 Company knows this firsthand. When the leadership gave thousands of managers training in expressing gratitude to their employees, the company saw record increases in revenue.

Despite these benefits, few executives effectively utilize this simple tool. In fact, new research reveals "people are less likely to express gratitude at work than anyplace else." What accounts for the staggering chasm between awareness of gratitude's benefits and the failure of so many leaders to do it--or do it well Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton call this the gratitude gap. In this invaluable guide, they identify the widespread and pernicious myths about managing others that cause leaders to withhold thanks.

Gostick and Elton also introduce eight simple ways managers can show employees they are valued. They supplement their insights and advice with stories of how many of today's most successful leaders--such as Alan Mulally of Ford and Hubert Joly of Best Buy--successfully incorporated gratitude into their leadership styles.

Showing gratitude isn't just about being nice, it's about being smart--really smart--and it's a skill that everyone can easily learn.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Gostick and Elton, cofounders of global training company The Culture Works, expound upon the belief that gratitude is a mental state that can improve well-being and have a positive impact on one's ability to live a happier life. The authors believe that gratitude is one of the most critical skills for leaders to learn, and maintain that when it is authentic, specific, and timely, it can boost employee motivation and productivity. Gostick and Elton also present and debunk myths standing in the way of expressing gratitude. With plentiful stories and subtle humor to illustrate these myths, the authors set the stage for later chapters, in which they describe and demonstrate eight simple ways of showing gratitude, along with easy to follow examples and advice. Gratitude can be applied not only in the workplace but in one's family and social life, too. Keeping a gratitude journal is encouraged: start small, if necessary, but start today. VERDICT For managers focused on motivation and productivity and anyone else seeking advice on how to express thankfulness.--Bonnie A. Tollefson, Rogue Valley Manor Lib., Medford, OR

Publishers Weekly Review

"The expression of gratitude for employees' efforts... can be a huge motivation and productivity booster," observe Gostick and Elton, cofounders of a training company, the Culture Works, and authors of The Carrot Principle, who labor to stretch out a full book on this simple principle. Gratitude, they propose, is good for teams, individuals, and the bottom line, and mastering its practice and expression can help managers engage and inspire their workforce. The coauthors present statistics, derived from a research study they commissioned, demonstrating that appreciative bosses have better motivated and more effective employees, but the only effect is to put numbers behind what everyone already knows. Gostick and Elton break down myths including fear is the best motivator, kids these days are too approval-hungry, and good managers parcel out praise sparingly, then walk readers through how to express gratitude meaningfully and encourage intra-team recognition. The book hinges on eight gratitude practices (such as "tailor to the individual," "assume positive intent," and "walk in their shoes"), which could be easily covered in a listicle. Chatty and friendly but ultimately skeletal, this is a better elevator pep talk than it is a full-length primer. Agent: James Levine, Levine Greenberg Rostan. (Mar.)

CHOICE Review

The testimonials in the first several pages of this book set a high bar and heighten one's curiosity about to what is to come. Gostick and Elton meet or exceed every expectation. Well designed and well executed, the volume combines a healthy dose of theory, detailed research insights and analysis, and numerous practical tips for implementing gratitude in a wide variety of settings. Rarely does a single book offer so much and address so many concerns about how best to lead and mentor. Both authors bring to this volume years of administrative experience, and the value of the book is far-reaching. This book, and the practices it espouses, will be an agent of change for business, industry, education, and personal well-being. Given its wealth of content, its readability, and its potential impact, this volume is must reading for those studying organizational and administrative behavior, personnel relations, and a wide range of other aspects of business. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, and professionals. --James B. Kashner, emeritus, University of the Southwest

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Adrian Gostick is the author of several successful books on employee engagement and retention. He earned a master's degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership from Seton Hall University, where he is a guest lecturer on organizational culture.

Adrians books have been translated into over 20 languages and are sold in more than 50 countries. The Carrot Principle by Simon & Schuster has been a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. The Invisible Employee, from John Wiley & Sons, also made the New York Times Bestseller list. The 24-Carrot Manager has been called a "must read for modern-day managers" by Larry King of CNN.

Adrian is vice-president of Carrot Culture, a consulting and training division of the O.C. Tanner Company.

(Bowker Author Biography)