Epperly's article on gratitute really spoke to my approach (or intended approach) to leadership. Appreciative inquiry is rooted in gratitude and I believe that this appreciative approach opens to door to adaptive leadership. It is challenging to be collaborative when people don't speak their truth and people don't speak their truth if they don't feel appreciated and safe. Emotional intelligence also plays a big role. Often, when someone puts effort into something, our first "gut reaction" may be to identify all of the ways we could have done it better. Epperly notes that gratitude must be intentional. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be something that comes very naturally to most of us. In my own leadership, I find that the moments in which I'm the most stressed, overwhelmed, and even feeling hurt are the times I need gratitude most.
This reminds me of the 'back of the boat' chapter (chapter 3) in Rest in the Storm. There are so many ways we get blocked from destressing, that we don't get the chance to settle into a space where we can be grateful. While that chapter is a lot about the ways we block ourselves from taking care of ourselves, it seems that it also applies to the places where we just don't have the habits of looking around to see ourselves and our environment, and so don't get the moment's rest needed in order to heave a sigh, take a moment, and find the gratitude.