Hey Leaders: Thank you!

Saying thank you, especially when the emotions and stakes are high, is important. Thank you to suppliers, vendors, volunteers, leadership teams and especially staff — all of them deserve a thank you.

As leaders, you absorb a lot of information (or noise), emotions (personal and professional) and responsibility (the good and the bad).

You may need to lay off, furlough or close. You may need to ask more of your teams than ever before and pay them less. You may need to consult, listen, encourage, push, argue, fight, decide … all in the same conversation. This was not taught in school. Even in the school of the streets, this is not usually on the agenda all at once. You usually only get it in waves.

You may need to get out of every comfort zone you have — or you may be thriving, and this is your element. You may be ready to throw in the towel one minute and be a cheerleader the next. You may do it wrong. You may do it right. No matter what, you must do it.

Thank you, leaders.

Thank you, for getting up every day and taking the good with the bad.

Thank you for trying to get all the information you can and making decisions on the fly.

Thank you for reading, watching, listening, absorbing, sharing, telling and coaching.

Thank you for worrying in private — and caring in public.

Thank you for doing.

I am happy to thank you all for other feats that you need a pat on the back about that no one may give you — share it out.