You feel a pressure few others feel. You have responsibilities that will never fit into a job description.
One of the disciplines I’ve had as a leader is learning how to become grateful and stay grateful.
Sometimes the best way for me to do that is to remind myself why grateful leaders make the best leaders.
Gratitude is a superpower for leaders seeking to build trusting supportive teams and workplace cultures. By cultivating and expressing sincere appreciation daily, leaders catalyze reciprocity collaboration, loyalty and engagement.
Modeling gratitude improves morale, wellbeing and job satisfaction across organizations. Studies show that grateful employees have higher productivity, less stress and fewer sick days. They feel valued, energized and committed to exceeding expectations.
As a leader, being authentically grateful for your team’s efforts fosters connection, community and purpose. Follow these tips to become a grateful leader who brings out the best in people:
Send Notes of Appreciation
Make it a habit to send handwritten notes or emails to team members when you witness efforts that deserve recognition A simple “thank you” note can make someone’s entire day! Tailor each message to explain exactly what the person did that you appreciate and the positive impact it had.
Don’t save this just for major accomplishments either. Expressing gratitude for day-to-day wins and contributions builds confidence and connection. Proactively look for reasons to appreciate your team.
Give Specific, Timely Praise
Speaking praise directly to individuals as soon as possible after an achievement has an even greater impact. Be specific about what they did well rather than general flattery.
For example, “The way you smoothly handled that client complaint earlier showed amazing poise under pressure. Thank you for representing us so professionally.”
Public praise in team meetings for wins shows others you lead with gratitude.
Celebrate Shared Success
Find creative ways to celebrate achievements with your team: catered lunches, fun outings, gifts, early office closures, or donations to charity.
Make the focus about collective appreciation versus singling out top performers to avoid jealousy. Enjoy the shared success!
Check In About Wellbeing
Simply making time to have sincere conversations with team members about how they’re doing personally makes a big difference. Avoid getting straight to business.
Ask about their family, hobbies, holidays, passions or health. Express care and offer support if they confide any challenges.
Write Thank You Cards
Handwritten cards may seem old-fashioned but they still have special power. Keep a stash of notecards handy so you can quickly pen a personal thanks to someone who went above and beyond.
Cards also make memorable keepsakes recipients can save and re-read when needing encouragement.
Spotlight Peer Recognition
Create avenues for team members to recognize each other’s contributions. This could include peer-voted awards, an online kudos board, or the opportunity to give public “shoutouts” in meetings.
Model active participation yourself. This builds camaraderie and infectious positivity.
Focus On the Positives
When giving feedback, balance constructive criticism with expressions of appreciation for strengths. You might say, “I appreciate how you picked up this new system so quickly. With a bit more attention to detail, your reports can be top-notch.”
This supportive approach prevents negativity bias and makes criticism easier to accept.
Listen Actively and Intently
When speaking with your team, be fully present and attuned. Avoid multi-tasking. Make eye contact, ask questions and reflect understanding.
Thank them for sharing their ideas and for trusting you with their concerns. This mindful listening conveys genuine interest and gratitude for their time.
Be Authentically You
The most meaningful appreciation comes when you lead with authenticity. Show your real personality, passions and quirks.
Share personal stories and jokes that allow your team to relate to you as a person versus just a role. This human vulnerability inspires devotion.
By incorporating gratitude habits into your daily leadership, you foster an engaged, inspired team driven to do their best work. Make gratitude non-negotiable – it quickly compounds into exceptional results.
A grateful leader sees opportunities others miss
I believe a grateful attitude is tied to an abundance mentality. I’m a firm believer in abundance thinking.
If we have a God who created everything we see out of nothing and who rose after he died, he can accomplish anything—through me, without me and in spite of me. If he uses me…wow…that’s amazing!
Being grateful for what you have is tied, in a meaningful way, to thinking abundantly about the future. Again…why?
Well, an ungrateful mind tends to translate what hasn’t happened into what can’t happen, what won’t happen and what will never happen.
A grateful mind thinks about everything that happened, gives thanks, and trust that even greater things can happen, will happen and should happen.
A grateful leader will almost always find the path to an abundant future.
And, for the ‘realists’ out there, you think feeling grateful won’t change anything?
Few people said it better than Henry Ford when he said, “Whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t, you’re right.”
As a leader, what you think determines what you do.
Gratitude fuels generosity
I learned this principle years ago from Andy Stanley. Nothing fuels generosity more than gratitude.
Think about it. If someone’s given you anything (cash, a gift, their time), nothing makes that person want to give again quite like gratitude.
If you’re thankful for the time you’ve spent together, they’ll want to get together again. If you’re not, they won’t.
Ditto with giving to a church or organization. Leaders who are genuinely grateful for whatever they receive tend to be surrounded by people who want to give more.
Ungrateful leaders are soon surrounded by non-givers or, ultimately, by no one.
A Surprising Habit of Great Leaders | Simon Sinek
What does it mean to be a grateful leader?
A leader who is grateful towards his or her employees gains their respect. The simple act of gratitude produces other behaviors. When a leader takes time to intentionally thank her employees, she gains their respect. Because gratitude is a virtue, we tend to respect those who exemplify it.
Does gratitude make you a better leader?
It may sound strange, but this is the power of gratitude. It’s one of the most effective ways to become not only a better leader but also a better person. But, if you are not convinced about this, let’s explain why great leaders should practice gratitude and how they can do so every day. How gratitude makes you a better leader.
What can leaders do to boost gratitude?
Here are some simple things that leaders can do that have been scientifically proven to boost gratitude, at work and beyond. 1. Send a note expressing your gratitude. Research shows that writing a letter thanking someone for the positive impact they’ve had in your life is a great way to boost your gratitude.
What are the benefits of being a grateful leader?
One advantage of being a grateful leader is your ability to reinforce positive behavior. Communicating your expectations is a top priority when you’re in a managerial position. By expressing your appreciation when a team member executes a task successfully, you’re acknowledging their adherence to company values.
