Insights for Leaders: Gratitude that Defines Reality

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. That sums up the progress of an artful leader.” – Max De Pree

Don’t you love this quotation. Such wisdom in so few words. Later on, I want to think with you about what all of this means. How does a leader define reality? In what sense is a leader a servant? Even a debtor? At this time, however, I want to combine a couple of Max’s insights, suggesting that gratitude can be more than the last thing a leader does. It can also be the first thing, and in this sense, it can help a leader define reality.

You can read the rest of this blog post at the Max De Pree Center “Insights for Leaders” blog.