Three Things I’m Thankful for in Business – By Taylor Scott

Former executive vice president of operations at the Walt Disney World Resort, Lee Cockerell, used to teach leaders to “Be one person.”

When we’re the same person on Saturday night as we are on Sunday morning, and when we’re the same person at home as we are at work, we leave little room for others to doubt or question who we are and what we stand for.

Authenticity is often the most attractive thing about our favorite leaders, and a lack of authenticity is usually the biggest turnoff. Lee was always authentic back then, and he’s just as authentic now in his retirement career as an author and keynote speaker.

It’s because of stories like these that I’m grateful for great leadership of all kinds—great leaders in business, great coaches in sports, and great mentors in life.

In reality, life is life, whether we’re at work or home. So, I’m thankful for these three things in both business and life:

Faith

Faith, in a spiritual sense, helps keep everything in perspective. I’m grateful for the opportunity to pursue, believe in, and share my faith. I’m thankful for the faith my own leaders, partners, and clients have in me to deliver and add value to their work and lives. Without faith, we’re lost. Not only do we feel lost without faith, but we are also physically lost with no sense of direction or motivation.

I’m grateful for faith.

Family

Family always has and always will be the most important thing in life—this goes for our family at home as well as our family at work. As humans, we’re all wired to need, crave, and desire connection and belonging. That’s why the love, compassion, encouragement, and patience we feel at home is as important as the love, compassion, encouragement, and patience we feel at work from our co-workers, leaders, and partners.

I’m grateful for family.

Friends

My high school basketball coach always said, “If we don’t have fun, we’ll be miserable.” Friends make work and life fun. Relationships we foster are as important as the results we deliver. In most cases, unless or until we form productive and meaningful relationships, building a strong community at work, we seldom deliver the desired results consistently. By the same token, unless or until we enjoy friendships and meaningful relationships outside of work, we’ll never be content, happy, or fulfilled enough to deliver our best at work. Friends make life and work fun.

I’m grateful for friends.

Happy Thanksgiving.