Gratitude in Leadership

Today is a day for gratitude and recognition of service. It is also a natural moment to reflect on the people in our professional lives whose guidance and example shaped who we became as leaders.

The managers and mentors who took time to explain the why behind decisions, who gave honest feedback without cruelty, and who recognized good work specifically and publicly -- those people have an outsized impact that compounds over an entire career.

Research in organizational psychology has consistently shown that recognition and gratitude expressed by leaders increase discretionary effort from teams. The effect is not marginal; it is large and durable. And yet many leaders treat recognition as a luxury rather than a core management tool.

Gratitude also has a reciprocal effect on the leader. Executives who develop a deliberate practice of acknowledging the contributions of the people around them report higher personal satisfaction and lower burnout rates. It is good for the team and good for the leader.