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As Christ was preparing his disciples for their upcoming leadership role, He displayed a marvelous training method. It wasn’t a colloquium or symposium, intensive classroom training, the newest high-speed reading system or even the latest church growth seminar. Christ taught his followers by example and modeling! Now certainly this was not to the exclusion of times of instruction, but all the character qualities He wanted them to learn and develop were first lived out before them. In the process, they were educated in the laboratory of life rather than in an isolated classroom. Christ, the master teacher knew you cannot impart what you do not first possess and so he initially demonstrated those qualities before them.

So it is as a leader, you not only set the direction for your ministry or organization, you also provide the unwritten values and priorities that you demonstrate with your daily living. The organizational climate and tenor depends largely on the attitudes and values you display.

In the United States our minds gravitate toward thoughts of Thanksgiving this week. But as we anticipate this American holiday, are we personally developing and demonstrating an attitude of thankfulness? Thankfulness is a barometer of the soul. Without it the heart grows cold and callused. We become insensitive to others as we become more and more self-centered and independent. There are at least three areas where leadership intersects with thankfulness:

1.  Thankfulness Acknowledges the Privilege of Leadership
As leaders we have been entrusted with the responsibility and opportunity to impact future generations by touching the lives of others today. An attitude of thanksgiving acknowledges the wonder of leadership and the very fact you have been gifted with the privilege of leadership.

2.  Thankfulness Recognizes the Contributions of Others
Benjamin L. Hooks observed, “He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.” You cannot lead in a vacuum! And you can’t motivate, influence or encourage others without first acknowledging their vital role in the leadership process. Leadership is a trust between the leader and those that choose to follow. By being openly thankful for others you elevate their worth and put things in clear perspective. People go where they’re wanted and stay where they are appreciated. It’s impossible to take others for granted when you are thankful for their contribution. Remember, people aren't a means to the end, they are the end!

3. Thankfulness Demonstrates Dependence Upon God
True leadership begins and ends in a passionate relationship with Christ! Thanksgiving ought to turn our heads upward as our natural response should be the acknowledgment of His grace and mercy in our lives and the smile of His favor.

In The Sacred Journey, Frederick Buechner relates the following experience:

“[One] winter I sat in Army fatigues somewhere near Anniston, Alabama, eating my supper out of a mess kit. The infantry training battalion that I had been assigned to was on bivouac. There was a cold drizzle, and everything was mud. The sun had gone down.

“I was still hungry when I finished and noticed that a man nearby had something left over that he was not going to eat. It was a turnip, and when I asked him if I could have it, he tossed it over to me. I missed the catch, the turnip fell to the ground, but I wanted it so badly that I picked it up and started eating it anyway, mud and all.

“And then, as I ate it, time deepened and slowed down again. With a lurch of the heart that is real to me still, I saw suddenly, almost as if from beyond time altogether, that not only was the turnip good, but the mud was good too, even the drizzle and cold were good, even the Army that I had dreaded for months.

“Sitting there in the Alabama winter with my mouth full of cold turnip and mud, I could see at least for a moment how if you ever took truly to heart the ultimate goodness and joy of things, even at their bleakest, the need to praise someone or something for it would be so great that you might even have to go out and speak of it to the birds of the air.”

As Christian leaders our lives should demonstrate the attitude of thankfulness. Thanksgiving ought to be a lifestyle not just an annual holiday. It should characterize our daily conduct as we practice its reality. An authentic attitude of gratitude will compel our conduct, keep our pride in check, heighten our love and devotion to others and increase our passion for the Savior. It's just a thought!

Stay the Course,

Greg Morris


Gregory K. Morris, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Leadership Dynamics, a non-profit corporation committed to the development of Christian leaders and their organizations. He has also authored In Pursuit of Leadership.You can find out more about at www.LeadershipDynamics.org.