The Power of Gratitude in Non-Profit Leadership

Announcer: 0:06

Welcome to the practice of non-profit leadership, a podcast specifically designed for executive directors of non-profit organizations. With a touch of humor, your co-hosts, tim and Nathan, work to provide encouragement, insights and practical strategies to help you be a more effective leader. And now here's Tim and Nathan.

Tim Barnes: 0:29

Welcome to episode 113 of the practice of non-profit leadership. I'm Tim Barnes and I'm Nathan Ruby. Well, Nathan, if people checked out the title of our podcast today, they would see that our topic today is focused on gratitude. Ma, any idea why we might have decided to talk about that today?

Nathan Ruby: 0:53

Maybe because you were concerned that I was going to be the grumpy old guy who yelled at the neighborhood kids when they got on my yard.

Tim Barnes: 1:00

Wow, you're spot on. That is a. You're reading my mind. No, really. Two main reasons, I think. The first is that this episode is going to drop Thanksgiving week here in the US. Saying thanks and having gratitude seems like an appropriate topic for that week, which, I have to say, is one of my favorite weeks of the year. I love Thanksgiving. I think it's my favorite holiday. I mean, what more do you want? Food, family and football Anyway sorry, I.

Nathan Ruby: 1:32

That's the trifecta right there, Tim.

Tim Barnes: 1:35

Anyway. But the second reason that we decided to talk about this is the realization that there is power in gratitude. Developing a habit of gratefulness and making saying thank you a regular practice can have incredible impact on the leadership of a nonprofit executive director. There's lots of opportunities to say thank you if we take them in nonprofit work.

Nathan Ruby: 2:03

Yeah, absolutely, tim. As executive directors, it is up to us to set the pace, to set the culture for our organizations. Just simply looking at staffing, and whether it be staff or recruiting and keeping volunteers, a big part of that is culture. I don't know if the world's any harder today than it was 20 years ago or 30 years or 40 years ago, but the world's a hard place. If you could create a place where the people that are helping you with your organization's mission and vision, if they can feel like they're appreciated and they're a part of a team and that you are thankful for them, gosh, it just makes life so much easier.

Tim Barnes: 2:56

Well, I hope you won't just go. Oh yeah, another thank you episode. I hope you really will stick with us because I think we have some really good things to share today. We want to talk about why gratitude is so powerful. As always, we want to give you a couple action steps to help you develop that habit. It's not just knowledge, but it's actually putting that knowledge into action. Let's jump into the first key point. That is the fact that gratitude promotes a positive mindset and improves mental well-being. We were sharing before we started our podcast that, man, there is so much what you might quote unquote call bad news in the world today. It just feels like there's so many challenges, so much conflict, so many things that feel like it can be overwhelming at times. Maybe that impacts your organization. Maybe you're finding lots of challenges with the focus of your organization. For me, our focus is working with those who've been displaced around the world. It's probably one of the key topics of this century is the displacement of people. Nathan, with his work in Haiti and all the challenges as you try to bring medical opportunities there, and the political issues and all that. We could go on and on. There are challenges in your arena, whatever that might be, sometimes it just feels like a burden. Of course we know there are lots of challenges just being an executive director. There's a lot of great things about leading a nonprofit, but there are a lot of challenges and burdens that come along with it. All that to say, in the midst of all that there are still things for which to be grateful. That donation that came in I just got off email a stock donation that we received. I'm grateful that someone took time to give to the work of our organization, for the impact that your program may be having, or the chance just to make a difference. That you get to get up every day and, through your nonprofit, make a difference in your community or your state or even maybe the nation or the world. But you get to do that. That's something to be really grateful for.

Nathan Ruby: 5:21

Yeah, tim, I think sometimes, as executive directors, the stuff that gets our attention is the squeaky wheel, the stuff that's not going right, the fires that come up, the problems that are forever present, and not just nonprofits and any organization and any company. They have the same issues, but unique to our nonprofit world. There's always something that is happening, that is managed, a problem or an issue, and that gets our focus and that gets our attention. And you know, the stuff that is going smoothly, that is working well, it is. It is really easy to forget that and you know, I think one of the things that I'm gonna do, or I'm gonna try to do we got a board meeting coming up here in December and I just at the beginning of the board meeting, you know we have some things that we're gonna have to talk about, but in the in the beginning of the board meeting, I'm gonna actually list out, you know, here's, you know five or six or seven or eight of these amazing things that happened this year that now we didn't get a lot of attention and we didn't really celebrate it. And, yes, there's issues. You know, we don't want to bury our head in the sand there. There's real things that we need to address, but there's also some pretty amazing things going on, and you know we get to choose. Are we gonna, are we gonna put our mindset on what's wrong or are we gonna put our mindset on what's right?

Tim Barnes: 6:54

And that's a choice that we get to make every day, yeah, and you know, when we, when we choose to be grateful and look at what's what's going right and Say thank you and all that, it begins to shift our focus and actually provides hope. It's like, oh yeah, that's why we're doing what we're doing, and so it really to help improve our mental space you know our mental well-being. It's really important to take the time to to practice gratitude and be grateful for what is going right and what is going well. The second point is that practicing gratitude Enhances our leadership skills. Now, that may sound Interesting. How? What do you mean by that, tim and Nathan? Well, there's a couple things I think. When we practice gratitude, it begins to foster an empathy for those that we serve and those we work with. So sometimes we can get so focused on our mission or we can just be going, you know, a hundred miles an hour and we we lose touch with, with those that we're working with or even those we're trying to serve, and and being grateful for this opportunity. Being grateful what we do begins to help us develop empathy for those that are in our inner space, those that we are connected with, and I think it leads to being able to have real appreciation for your staff and for your donors and and for those who have a stake in in what you're doing. Again, sometimes we can just see a donor or a staff as a means to an end, rather than the fact that they are people and that we're walking together in this and developing gratitude for them really Changes how we, how we feel about them, how we walk with them, and I think it and, nathan, you're good at this, I feel like it doing that also. Build stronger relationships with those we work with, and with our donors and with our staff and our board, when, when we really do appreciate what they're doing.

Nathan Ruby: 9:01

Yeah, and you know, on the on the fundraising site, Tim, it's really easy to you. You said a little bit ago about a means to an end, and on the fundraising side, that'd be seeing your donors as ATM machine, as though, hey, you know, we're getting a little tight on budget, we need more money, so it's it's time for you to make a withdrawal from your account into my account, and you know you could, you could get by with that for a little bit, but long term that'll crush you, that'll wipe you out from a, from a fundraising standpoint, that attitude and and you really do need to the best gifts and the and the and the most impactful gifts come from the best relationships, and so you, you do have to develop relationships with, with your donors in deep, deep relationships, and that starts with gratitude of. You know, gosh, mr, mrs Donor, I, you don't have to give your gift to us. You know you don't have to give any gift at all and you don't certainly don't have to give it to us. You could give it to anyone you choose, but you did choose to give it to us. And so there's this, this, this real appreciation and deep sense of gratitude, and so that is that it's a key component of major gift fundraising and it's important. And I, and I think on the on the Another category team is on the people that your organization serves. You know your, your output, whether you're, you know, feeding people or medical care, or teaching people about the history of your county or whatever you know, whatever it is that you're that your organization does, it is really easy, well, at least for me. Maybe I'm just speaking for myself, but it's really easy if you're not careful of looking at the people you serve as almost widgets. You know it's, oh, you know, we, we served, you know, pick a number 300 last year. This year we served 310. So, you know, we had a great year. And so you, just you lose that connection with the people that you're serving and I'm not sure, tim, that it's like, oh, I'm, I'm, I'm, I have gratitude and I'm happy that we have more people in need, so that we have more people to serve. I'm not sure that's the right, the right way to frame it, but just of saying, you know, these are people that are whose lives have been, you know, enhanced or improved or saved or transformed, and I am so happy and excited for them as as individuals or as families, that their life is better and what a great thing that is. So I don't know, I'm kind of rambling there a little bit but we just it's so easy to lose in the rush of the day of trying to get all the things done that we're supposed to, that we just lose focus on that aspect. It's easy to do.

Tim Barnes: 12:08

And I think empathy is a really important characteristic of a leader. It's so easy, again, to be very mission focused, and that's important, but why are you carrying out that mission? And so as you develop gratitude, you develop the empathy that's needed for good leadership. A third point about practicing gratitude is that it can impact your organization. When you, as a leader, have a spirit of gratitude and you practice gratitude, it creates a culture of appreciation, and who doesn't want to be appreciated? I love it when someone recognizes something that I've done or impact I've had, or they notice things and it makes me feel like, oh okay, I'm actually making a difference. You know, to create that kind of culture in your organization is so important, and it comes when we begin to practice gratitude. You know it can lead to an increased staff and volunteer satisfaction and retention. When we are practicing gratitude, when we're showing appreciation To get a chance to work in a place that's making a difference and also to be appreciated, you will have people knocking on your door to come and serve with you and be a part of what you're doing. It draws others into your organization when you have a culture of gratitude and appreciation, but it starts with you. It starts with you practicing that and creating that culture in your organization.

Nathan Ruby: 13:45

You know and I don't know, tim, maybe this is a bit outside of the scope of this episode, but I think, in order to be and I, you know, tim and I are not therapists or psychoanalysts or anything to the nature but I think if you're going to show gratitude and you're going to extend that to other people, you got to start with yourself, and it is you have to, you know, be okay with who you are and your leadership skills and where you are and as an executive director and leading your team, and Knowing that, hey, you know, there's probably areas that it well, not probably there. There's. There is areas I need to improve on, but I'm doing okay. And if you don't have any band with within yourself of Of appreciating your own abilities and where you are as a leader, then it's really difficult to extend that to others. Maybe use this time of Thanksgiving to just, you know, maybe be thankful for yourself and and what you bring to the table, and and that'll help you make it a little bit easier to extend that to others.

Tim Barnes: 14:56

You just if you begin to listen you you see there is real power in practicing gratitude. Rather than just telling you that, let's also maybe give you some steps you can take to begin to practice gratitude In your life and in your organization, and we just put up a couple here. The first one, I think is is to develop a daily gratitude journal, and I was telling Nathan this is something that one of my goals for 2023 was to was to journal regularly and and I've pretty much kept up with it all all year, which I appreciate, and my first thing that I write down every day is I'm grateful for and I pick out one, one thing, and sometimes it's it's hard. It shouldn't be hard because there are so many things that we should be great grateful for, but sometimes I'm sitting there going, what am I, what am I grateful for, like what really grabs my heart today, that I'm not just writing it down. And I had a experience just a couple weeks ago. I have done a lot of traveling this year, been in a lot of different places, and I'm sitting in my chair in the corner where I spend most of my mornings and I just looked around and I'm like I'm so grateful just to be in my house today. In my home you know my dogs looking at me. I'm sitting here, I'm having my good cup of coffee. I'm just so grateful to be here today. I love to travel, I love to connect with other people, but sometimes it's so nice just to be in your familiar spot. Just being able to write that every day starts the day off with a different spirit, rather than here's all the problems I've got to solve today, and so if you want to practice gratitude, I think one of the things you can do is begin to write it down every day. Just write one thing I'm grateful for this today. It's been really good.

Nathan Ruby: 16:56

Yeah, tim, I know you've been focusing on that this year and we've talked about that a few times throughout the year and and that's awesome and you did it, you did a great job and I know you're gonna finish the year strong with that and that area I got. I'm gonna give myself a D minus for that this year and I I didn't give myself an F. I probably could have. But I have a thing on my watch that goes off in the morning and at night and it's it's supposed to be a trigger. It's an app that I downloaded some time ago and it's a mindfulness and you know what are you mindful for? What are you, what are you thankful for? And it goes off twice a day and I look at it, but then I haven't really done anything. So that's why I gave myself a D minus. So I'll try to do better with that Going forward. Tim, maybe you can, maybe you could send me a text every morning, about 5 30, you get up and and remind me to do that. You got it, we'll do that.

Tim Barnes: 17:56

So just just practicing it every day is really good. I think another thing is intentionally looking for opportunities to say thank you, just to let people know you appreciate them, that you appreciate what they're doing, that you appreciate them as a person, and so, looking at that, making that a practice as well. I think one of the things that I'm sure we've talked about this on this podcast, but I think one of the most impactful things is a written card or a written note. You know it's easy to send a text, and I do that, and it's easy to send an email, and I do that as well or a phone call, which is all good, but I the the power of Saying thank you and in a handwritten card is really amazing, and I've been in places where I've seen people have their cards up somewhere. Don't underestimate the power of saying thank you to your staff and to your donors and to your board for their commitment, for who they are, what they bring to your organization and probably for your family as well. Here's one of the newer things that I've that I've done I've someone's kind of gotten me going here and that is to actually do a little video, send videos and I don't know you may hate the way you look on video or how you talk or whatever, but you know a one minute, grab your phone, look in the phone and say you man, I'm glad you're part of our team, you're doing a great job, thank you, and then send that video to someone. It's pretty powerful. I think you can do that to your donor, you can do it to your board, you can do it to your family or whatever. It's something that you could, you could do, but I've really, I've really enjoyed Using that medium as well to say thank you, and you can send a text, you can send email. Important to look for those opportunities.

Nathan Ruby: 19:45

Yeah, you know, just just this morning, my wife my wife's a public school teacher. Public school teachers Forgotten more and more difficult. Several years it's. It's certainly not easier and but she did a thing at school last week and, with too long to story, too long to tell, but anyway, in there weekly newsletter that the principal sends out to the teachers from that school and there's probably 80 teachers to give or take but she got recognized for something that she had done and she took a picture of it and sent it to me and it was, you know, and we don't during the, during the, the workday, we don't communicate a lot, just because you know she's constantly busy and I'm busy, and I mean we took a couple of texts throughout the Day, but anyway it was, it was important enough to her that she got recognized, that she took a picture and sent it to me, and so it is a really powerful way to do that. A couple of things that that I try to do and that I've seen others, other Leaders, do. One is make it specific, you know, saying hey, you know you're doing great, I'm really glad you're part of the team, you know, thanks for all you do. Okay, well, that, that that's good and that has power and that is very good, saying, hey, you know, I'm so glad you're part of the team. I really love how you, you know, came up with that idea to this. Or, you know, I saw you picking up a Paper off the floor, what, whatever, some specific thing, and because the more specific you make it, the more intentional it is to them and so the bigger impact that it makes. And then my last thing, and you know, we work for in the nonprofit world and so sometimes money is and and Income and salary, those are can be sometimes a four letter word, because, you know, we're not in it for the money, we're in it for the mission and for helping people, and that's true we are. None of us would be doing this work if it wasn't for the vision and the mission of the organization that we're with. So I get that, that's it. You know, don't forget a five dollar, you know, gift card to your local coffee shop or a something, an extra day off, some, some monetary Consideration, it. And it doesn't have to be a lot, tim, you know, it doesn't have to be a hundred dollars, it could be five bucks, but that that has real impact and and really makes a difference in people.

Tim Barnes: 22:18

I'm not sure five dollars will buy a coffee at my coffee shop, but it's a good. It's a good start.

Nathan Ruby: 22:26

Well, you're a tad bit of a coffee snob, to be honest him. So you know, at the, at the senior Discount at McDonald's. That works pretty. That. That's enough for me. There we go.

Tim Barnes: 22:39

That's a great. It's a great idea. I think you little gift cards are a great way to say thank you and I think doing there are lots of think, thank you activities and I I think you could Take your team out for lunch. Sometimes it go here we're just gonna gonna go, we're gonna hang out that or putting together, putting together an activity for your staff. Do something fun together. Just say, hey, I'm glad that you're part of the team, we're gonna. We're gonna enjoy each other today and and I think it's really important for volunteers, like doing a volunteer lunch or a volunteer dinner or Something like that's really important to keep, to keep people connected and be excited about it. Our bottom line is be intentional, make it part of the culture, make it part of your leadership that you look for ways, creative ways to say thank you, to recognize people, and it has power, is powered it too, for your organization to move forward when people are appreciated as well. Well, nathan, as we close out our episode, I think it would be good if we, if we just take a minute to share some of our thank yous as well. What are you grateful for? Is you going to into this holiday season?

Nathan Ruby: 23:53

Yeah, you know Well, obviously, for my family and you know my kids, my wife and and the impact that they have in me, and I'm thankful for the show and for my friendship, tim, yours and my friendship, of course, I think from a from a work perspective and from a nonprofit perspective. The last couple of days, a couple of weeks, I've been working, you know, year-end fundraising push and we have a Contractor that is that has worked with us now for three years that is helping us and we we're doing a big online push and so we hired a short-term Consultant to help us with some online things that we were doing and they are just, they are so good and so professional and fun and I mean we are doing some really good work. And so what I'm thankful for is when you find people that are very good at what they do, have a great attitude, are, you know, bringing their best every day, it is so much fun and you could get so much done. And it is if you've never, if you as a leader, if you've never Experienced working with people that are really, really competent in their job and have a great attitude and are fun to be around, those are the. Those are the people that you need to find, because it just makes work a joy. So I'm thankful for for staff and and contractors that that are doing their best to make an impact and and are really good at their job.

Tim Barnes: 25:38

Well, I echo so much of what you said, nathan. It's it's been Really fun to actually do this show together and I do appreciate our friendship that Spans about 13 or so years, that we have walked together and challenged each other, and that's it's really important, guys and gals. I mean, if you, if you don't have somebody in your life that can challenge you, encourage you, it's really important to have that kind of friendship. I encourage you to look, look for that and I'm grateful for that. I am grateful for the opportunity to Be able to give my life to to doing things that make a difference. You don't have to do big things, but it's just showing up and it's using your gifts and your talents to To make a difference in an issue, a problem, a challenge. That's one of the things I appreciated about nonprofit work is that we have the opportunity to try to go after something and and to change, to change things for the better, and so being able to be in this, in this Line of work, is is really awesome, and to be able to do the things that we do. And I guess we we have to say and I think I speak for Nathan as well that we are very grateful for all of you. We appreciate and thank you for listening, for commenting, for reaching out to us. We've enjoyed getting to know some of you and and also to have the opportunity To walk alongside you and your organization. That's just that gives us great, great joy to be able to help you make a difference in that way and we hope to get to know more of you in the coming year if you are in the US. We wish you a very, very wonderful Thanksgiving season this week, having a posture of gratitude is not a once a year event.

Nathan Ruby: 27:36

In fact, there is power in practicing gratitude on a daily basis and the impact will be personal in your leadership, with those whom you work and on your organization. Be grateful and make saying thank you a regular habit. You will experience the difference.

Tim Barnes: 27:55

Thanks for listening today. If you're benefiting from what's being shared on this podcast, we'd love for you to take the time to leave a review on whatever platform you're listening to. Let us know how the podcast is benefiting you, and we'd love to hear from you if you want to get in touch. Our contact Information is in show notes. That's all for today, until next time.