National Goodness Pays Day: A Day Worth Celebrating

Every year on November 18, I pause to celebrate National Goodness Pays Day. It’s really cool, because we created it!

Good Leadership began in November 2009 during the Great Recession. Early in our story, I gathered business owners and executives for coffee and a simple conversation: Do you still believe goodness pays? 73 people showed up. Their answers helped shape a belief I have spent my career putting to the test: Goodness belongs in business.

So, we bought the day!

In 2022, National Goodness Pays Day became part of our story. On November 18 of that year, during the 100th episode of the Good Leadership Breakfast Series, we announced the designation of November 18 as National Goodness Pays Day – did you know you can apply and pay to have any day memorialized by the National Day Archives?

For me, the day is bigger than a celebration of our firm, it is an invitation. Goodness is not about being nice at the expense of results. Our 2017 research defined goodness as people thriving together in a culture of encouragement, healthy accountability, and positive teamwork. Those three ideas matter.

1. Encouragement tells people their contribution has value.
2. Healthy accountability asks people to take ownership for quality work, delivered on time, with support from the team. Our work centers on building cultures where accountability is embraced rather than enforced.
3. Positive teamwork reminds us results rarely belong to one person.

National Goodness Pays Day gives you a reason to put those principles into practice. You do not need a company program or a big announcement. Start with your own leadership.

On November 18:

• Encourage someone whose work deserves recognition.
• Have an honest conversation you have been avoiding.
• Take ownership for a promise you made.
• Ask a teammate where support would help.
• Recognize someone who makes your workplace better.

Small actions reveal what you believe about leadership.

After years of working with executives and teams, I remain convinced goodness and strong business results belong together. National Goodness Pays Day gives us one date on the calendar to say so clearly.

This November 18, ask yourself: Where does goodness show up in your leadership? Where does your team need more encouragement, healthy accountability, or positive teamwork?

Then choose one action and follow through. Because goodness pays.