“Give thanks in all circumstances,” Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NRSVUE). It’s easy to read this as a personal spiritual discipline. But for those of us who lead congregations, gratitude is also a leadership competency. Leaders who cultivate deep appreciation for others also create healthier teams, navigate conflict more effectively, and sustain themselves for the long-haul of ministry.
We don’t need to wait until the once-a-year annual volunteer recognition to lead with gratitude. We can infuse thankfulness into the ways in which we conduct meetings and provide pastoral presence in the pulpit. What difference might it make to the mood of our meetings if the first item on the agenda was an invitation for everyone to share something they are grateful for as a member of that community? They may want to express their appreciation for a fellow team member or for how the church has impacted their life.
We all know that church leadership is challenging work. Today, we are called to do this work during extraordinary times. Cultural hostility toward institutional Christianity is high. Trust in institutions is low. Church budgets are shrinking as membership declines. Leaning into gratitude is not a coping strategy to ignore the facts. A study by Fehr, Fulmer, Awtrey and Miller (2017) suggests gratitude is essential to organizational resilience. They argue that leaders who consistently emphasize gratitude develop organizations that have a greater capacity to adapt and thrive under adversity.
What transformation might happen if we took gratitude as seriously as strategic planning, vision casting and budget management? Perhaps gratitude isn’t peripheral to effective leadership but central to it.
Resources
Belonging to God and to one another
When we work toward embracing every individual without exception we move closer to the world God wants for us.
By Khristi Lauren Adams
Cultivating networks of impact
In times of celebration and in times of crisis, networks help provide connection, resilience and stability.
By Angie Kay Hong
Resilience and pastoral leadership
To acquire the resilience necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing world, pastors need people, practices and purpose, says the director of the Resilient Leaders Project.
Q&A with Kate Rae Davis
Gratitude isn’t just an emotion
We tend to think of gratitude as a personal feeling that we can cultivate. But it’s also communal and social, writes the author of the new book “Grateful.”
Q&A with Diana Butler Bass
Before you go
Leaders know that constructive feedback — and sometimes good old-fashioned criticism — never stops. That’s why I keep a folder in my office where I collect the notes of gratitude that people are kind enough to send. I don’t intend to ignore the critiques, but I don’t want to forget the words of gratitude. That’s so easy to do. In the same way leaders sustain their teams through acts and rituals of gratitude, leaders should not shrug off words of appreciation for their work. Humility is a virtue, but leadership requires resilience, and gratitude builds that resilience. I hope that in the coming weeks you can take the time to reflect on people’s gratitude for your ministry. I also hope that you will find ways to initiate or strengthen your intentional gratitude for others. Maybe it’s a handwritten note. Maybe it’s a phone call. Maybe you’ll buy someone a cup of tea or coffee. Don’t wait until there’s a formal recognition program. Simple acts of gratitude just might shift your organizational culture in surprising ways and revitalize the soul of your ministry.
You can always reach me and the Alban Weekly team at alban@duke.edu. Until next week, keep leading!
Prince R. Rivers
Editor, Alban at Duke Divinity