Thanks Giving
Most leaders know they should thank people more often, but they forget to do it. I used to be one of those people until years ago one of my staff said to me, “You are always ready to tell us what to improve on, but you rarely tell us what’s working.” I recall thinking at the time, "It’s not that I don’t think it - it’s that I don’t say it often enough."
Gratitude works because it meets a basic human need. People want to know their effort matters. When leaders take the time to notice contributions and name them clearly, it strengthens trust. Trust is not built through grand speeches. It grows through small, repeated moments where people feel seen, heard and valued
Practical gratitude is not complicated. It shows up in things leaders can do every day: Noticing when someone took initiative and saying exactly what you saw. Calling out strengths during a meeting so others can see them too. Connecting someone’s effort to the purpose or impact it created. Recognizing progress, even when the team is still in the middle of a tough transition.
These are small actions, but they shift the tone of a workplace. Gratitude is one of the most practical tools leaders have for shaping culture. When leaders consistently express appreciation, they model attention to effort, respect, and shared purpose. Over time, teams begin to reflect those same behaviors with one another. The group becomes more cohesive and more capable of doing challenging work together.
If you think these ideas are Polly Anna, think again. A vague thank you rarely has impact. A meaningful expression of gratitude names what the person did and why it mattered. For example, saying “Thank you for staying late to finish the client proposal. Your work made it possible for us to meet the deadline without sacrificing quality” carries far more weight than a quick “Thanks.”
Gratitude costs nothing, it takes little time, and yet it often has more influence on team performance than any policy or incentive.
Gratitude does not solve every challenge, but it creates the conditions for people to move through those challenges together. That is the heart of strong leadership, and it starts with noticing what people contribute and telling them the truth about the value they bring.
If you find expressing gratitude falls to the bottom of your to-do list - do what I did, and continue to do all these years later - put it on the calendar, and then say something. .
