"A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money." – John Ruskin As you may know, in my younger days I owned a convenience store chain. Years and years later, I received a letter from a man in Kansas City with a name I didn’t recognize. It began, “Dear Mr. Kitchens, you probably won't remember me, but…” The man went on to explain that many years ago, he desperately needed to get back home, but didn't have any money to pay for gas. He recalled that when he … [Read more...]
176: 4 Ways for Thanksgiving to Inspire Your Leadership
With Thanksgiving and with your leadership, it's all about the planning. —Ron Kitchens On Today's Episode: How Thanksgiving dinner can teach us lessons for leadership It's all in the planning Get the right people involved Stay focused on the end goal Be grateful Good leaders are appreciative People work harder for people they like (and we tend to like people that appreciate us) These last few weeks of the year tend to be some of the busiest ones at … [Read more...]
How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You a Better Leader
“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” — Zig Ziglar This is the time of year when we prepare our homes to receive friends and family for the holidays, making it only natural that we turn our thoughts to giving thanks and counting our blessings. But, while it’s easy to be in a thankful mood sitting at the Thanksgiving table with a plateful of turkey and a day off, how … [Read more...]
Recognition Done Right
Whether at home, on the street or in the office, all people want to feel valued and respected. Psychologists generally agree that appreciation is a basic human need, just like eating properly and getting enough exercise. So in the workplace, regular recognition is critical. Some well-timed words of encouragement after a job well done can make a world of difference. But if overlooked, a lack of recognition is detrimental. In fact, a 2017 Office Team study revealed that 66 percent of employees … [Read more...]
147: The Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie On Today’s Episode: Where Ron's gratitude journey started Using gratitude as a reflection tool The importance of setting time aside to be grateful What "Catalations" are at Southwest Michigan First Other businesses that participate in regular thank you notes The attitude of gratitude Always Forward. Ron Question: How would a regular showing of gratitude … [Read more...]