What’s the value of a good night out?

Last week I shared breakfast with a senior leader who reminded me how generosity can be the hallmark of good leadership.  8AM and she was glowing.

Do you know that special moment when our work becomes both personal and professional? It’s the rare, exciting feeling when we care so much about the outcome, and the people involved that the project becomes less about what we do…and more like who we are. Poker players call this full body and soul commitment “all in.”  Sometimes “all in” means early mornings and late nights, lots of travel…even working weekends.

My breakfast companion started our conversation by saying: “I just received an unusual phone call from my boss this morning.” Senior corporate leaders often find an “unusual phone call from my boss” to mean a U-turn on the Autobahn.  This call was a little different.  “He wanted to make sure I was going to be in my office today,” she continued.  “Not because anything was wrong…but because he wanted to give me a gift certificate for a nice dinner out — to show his appreciation for how hard I’ve been working on the corporate transformation.”

She was glowing.  Not from the gift certificate, but from the inherent sense of goodness in her leader.  Her “boss” knows family is important in her life — and he knows she’s been working sun up to sun down, demonstrating what it means to be “all in.”  His prompting gave her permission (and incentive) to make a family date night for a good night out.  We both could taste her gratitude in the croissants.

Who do you have in your line of influence who is routinely “all in?”  When was the last time you shared your appreciation and encouraged a good night out?  This link will make it easy for you to act on your good leader instincts: and buy a dinner gift certificate.

Good leaders know how simple gestures can go a long way in helping hard working people feel appreciated.  And how the glow of a good night out will multiply personally and professionally.

Drop me a note: what gesture of generosity has meant the most from your ‘boss?’  I’m looking forward to sharing your answers.