It’s super easy to get caught up in the busyness of business and forget to take notice of those who have affected our lives and careers in a positive way.

Look at your colleagues or scan your email list. Reflect who’s there… 

›Who had your back when times were tough and you thought your career was about to be derailed?

“Grace. Loss. Fortune. Hardship. Victory. Sometimes the worst seat is best seat in the house and it comes as a result of leading.” ~Dan B. Allender

›Who asked for your opinion and really listened to what you had to say?

“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” ~Ralph Nichols

›Who introduced you to someone who has been a big help to your career?

“The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.” ~Keith Ferrazzi

 ›Who sponsored you to lead a high-visibility project?

“Trust is a function of two things: character and competence. Character includes your integrity, your motive and your intent with people. Competence includes your capabilities, your skills, and your track record. Both are vital.” ~Stephen M. R. Covey

›Who encourages you to push yourself beyond your comfort zone?

“Leadership is the lifting of a man’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a man’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a man’s personality beyond its limitations.” ~Peter Drucker.

›Who regularly offers feedback on what you do well and where you can be better?

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” ~Kenneth Blanchard

›Who is always there with a willing ear and a reinforcing word when your over-bearing boss is at it again?

“A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials.” ~Chinese Proverb

›Who holds you accountable and does so with empathy?

“For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?” ~Bell Hooks

›Who always takes a stand for what’s good and what’s right, even when doing so is unpopular?

“Character is the glue that bonds solid and meaningful relationships.” ~Tony Dungy

›Who celebrates the little things and lets you know you’re valued?

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~G.K. Chesterton

Don’t let today slip away without you saying “thank you” to them!

Pass it on.

Image credit: Ranch Ehrlo Society