Imagine if your day began with a message from someone you respect describing how pleased they were about something you did.
Such a compliment coming from a trusted source might change your entire day.
The boost such a compliment provides might reframe how you look at challenges and problems throughout the day. Everything in your world might seem a little bit brighter, all because someone you admire started your day with a compliment.
Now what if you were the giver and not the receiver of such a recognition?
As a leader, you should consider intentionally having this impact on those you lead and care about. Make it a habit instead of a one- or two-day hack.
Once you do it consistently, you will notice it creates a positive feeling that fosters a chain reaction of mood, values, and satisfaction. Not only does sharing a compliment enhance the relationship, but the expression of appreciation also sets the tone for both parties to engage more positively later in the day.
But that’s not the primary impact of starting your leadership day by offering a compliment to someone you lead. The real reason to do it is to influence your own identity and sense of self.
Despite the obvious influence a compliment at the start of the day will have on others, the biggest impact will take place within you. Do this every day for a week, and you will experience a change in how you see yourself and your leadership.
Some behaviors are not a reflection of who you are. You become a reflection of what they require of you.
Create the habit of starting each day by offering someone a compliment, and you may find you see yourself in a more positive light as well.
