Gratitude as a Practice in Leadership
You're probably working hard these days. Navigating complexities. You're dealing with changing expectations, leading your team through uncertainty, and likely moving between feeling confident and wondering if you're really on top of things.
When you are carrying that level of responsibility, it is easy to look around and forget one basic truth: you are not the only one working your tail off.
I think real gratitude is something you learn and practice until it becomes a habit. It's much more than just being nice or polite. When you show genuine appreciation, you let your team know they should keep learning, taking initiative, and aiming high. It shows them they matter as people, not just for what they're producing for you or for the business.
Recognition, Appreciation, or Gratitude?
People oftentimes mix up recognition, appreciation, and gratitude, but each one feels different:
Recognition is about specific results. For example: "You completed X, and it created Y result." It’s a great example to celebrate concrete, tangible achievements.
Appreciation is about valuing the person. For instance: "I value the specific perspective you brought to this project." It helps people feel noticed and understood.
Gratitude goes even deeper. For example: "I am thankful because your effort gave us X." It recognizes both the result as well as the person who made it happen.
Why Do We Hold Back?
So why do so many leaders hesitate to be intentional?
Sometimes, we overestimate how awkward it will feel and drastically underestimate how much our words matter. We assume people already know we value them. But keeping that thought to yourself starves your team of the trust they need to perform well.
Sometimes, we're just too busy. Other times, we worry that recognizing someone's hard work means we owe them something we can't give back.
When you make gratitude, appreciation, and recognition a habit, you make high performance repeatable. Think of it like putting your favorite Spotify playlist on repeat.
For gratitude to work, though, it needs to be specific, timely, and connected to what actually happened. Avoid saying things like "thanks for all your hard work" or the never-ending "I appreciate you."
Instead, try saying something like:
"Hey, thanks for challenging that assumption in our meeting today. It changed how we looked at the problem and saved us from a costly mistake."
This way of thinking works at home, in your community, and even with strangers, not just at work.
Remember, real leadership moves in every direction, not just from the top down.
What’s Emerging This Week
Here's a small experiment to try this week:
You don’t need a big company program or fancy gestures to show gratitude. It could take only a few minutes with some clear intent that can actually make a significant impact in our work or lives.
Try these three steps before Friday, and see what happens:
1. Choose one person whose work you may have overlooked lately.
2. Write down exactly what they did or the quality they showed, and how it affected you, the team, or the business.
3. Tell them directly. Be specific, be timely, and don’t expect anything in return.
Think about that: Who on your team needs to hear that their work matters right now? Are you letting a bit of awkwardness keep you from saying it?
When you truly listen and show honest appreciation, you help your team feel safe enough to take smart risks and do their best work.
With intention,
Scott
P.S. If you want to learn more about building these connections, reach out to me today at s@scottschultz.co or comment down below and together let's get moving.
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