Encouraging A Culture Of Gratitude

Hot take: "Be grateful" is terrible advice. Not because gratitude isn't powerful (it is). But because this "advice" almost never comes with practical ways of actually doing it. We've all heard the “write 3 things down in a journal” advice, but for me it's always felt a bit forced. And besides, why would we expect one method to work for everyone? That’s why I gave myself a mission: Come up with a handful of gratitude practices that don’t involve writing in a journal (not that there's anything wrong with that). Here's what I came up with: 1. Look for glimmers Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. They're those tiny moments in your day that make you feel joy, peace, or gratitude. Once you train your brain to spot them, they start appearing everywhere. 2. Snap a joy photo Take one picture per day of something that brought you joy. A cup of coffee, a funny street sign, the way the sunlight hits your desk. Not for social media, just for you. 3. The "Tell Them" Theory (h/t Vex King) When someone does something you appreciate, actually tell them. Doesn't have to be profound. Just: "I'm glad you're in my life" or "Thanks for always making me laugh." 4. Practice future nostalgia Throughout your day, pause and ask: "Will I miss this moment someday?" Your current morning routine, the commute you complain about, even your kid's phase of asking "why?" fifty times a day. Which of these resonates with you? Let me know your favorite ways to practice gratitude.

In 2017, researchers at Harvard and University of Oregon did something remarkable. They rewired people's brains in just 3 weeks. Participants spent 10 minutes each night writing down what they were grateful for. Then researchers put them in an MRI scanner and watched what happened when they made decisions about money. Here's what they found: ↳The ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the brain region that controls how we evaluate rewards and make decisions, started lighting up differently. Not when participants got something for themselves. But when others benefited. Their brains had literally rewired to prioritize collective success over personal gain. 👉 That's the gratitude effect. And if you're building something that matters, you need to understand how it works. Three layers that build gratitude-driven leadership: 1. Daily Practice: The Foundation • Find 3 specific wins from your team each night. Specificity matters. • Notice progress, not just outcomes. It changes what you look for. • Share one gratitude moment in your next meeting. It sets the tone. 2. Decision-Making: The Shift • Ask "who benefits?" before major calls. It reframes priorities. • Celebrate team wins before individual ones. Your brain learns what to value. • Track collective metrics alongside personal goals. What you measure shapes behavior. 3. Culture: The Compound Effect • Make gratitude visible in how you communicate. It spreads. • Recognize contributions publicly and specifically. Vague praise doesn't rewire anything. • Build systems that reward collaboration. Structure drives behavior. Here's the reality: → Your brain's reward system can recalibrate in 3 weeks. So the question isn't whether gratitude works. 📌 It's whether you're using it to lead better. ♻️ Repost for your network (and look ridiculously clever while doing it.) 📥 Save it for your next team meeting. Follow Mariela Hunter for the neuroscience of performance.

If you’ve ever tried to appreciate someone at work, but it didn’t land the way you intended, you’re not alone. Dr. Gary Chapman found that, just like love languages, we each have appreciation languages, the way we feel valued and seen at work. And when the language we give doesn’t match the language someone receives, it can feel like our effort "missed," even if our intention was heartfelt. Before we dive in, do this with me: Write down the 5 people you interact with most: manager, teammates, direct reports, clients, or collaborators. We’re going to profile them. There are five appreciation languages, and each requires a different expression strategy: 1. Quality Time This isn’t “we were in meetings together.” This is focused, uninterrupted, one-on-one time. Quality-time coworkers feel appreciated when they truly connect, not in group settings, rushed chats, or quick “You good?” check-ins. Ways to appreciate them: • Dedicated 1:1s, not “tacked on at the end” • Learning or planning time together (book clubs, brainstorms, challenges) • Team retreats or shared experiences • Bonus: You can gift them time. For example, “Head out early and take tonight for yourself.” 2. Gifts Not “expensive,” but thoughtful. They love meaningful, personal, “this made me think of you” tokens. This could be: • Their favorite snack • A tiny trip souvenir • A funny desk trinket • Holiday / birthday surprises • Small “inside-joke” objects Spot them: Their desk or shelves are filled with keepsakes they never throw away. 3. Physical Touch (tricky at work, but still real) These people feel reassurance and warmth through appropriate physical contact. Because workplaces are now hybrid or virtual, we must adapt: Ways to appreciate appropriately: • Begin & end meetings with handshakes or high-fives • Supportive shoulder pats (only if welcome) • Eye contact • Consider “indirect touch gifts”: massage chair day, spa / pedicure gift vouchers 4. Acts of Service (my personal #1) These people show and feel appreciation through helping, finishing, anticipating, and removing friction. “I handled that for you” = emotional gold. Ways to appreciate them: • Take tasks off their plate • Handle details before they ask • Send updates proactively • Mental acts of service count too (“I’ve been thinking ahead on next month. Here are three ideas”) 5. Words of Affirmation They need to hear or read it. “Good work” is fine, but specific praise is what nourishes them. Ways to appreciate them: • Verbal praise (1:1 or group) • Thoughtful emails or Slack messages • Public recognition • LinkedIn recommendations • End-of-call acknowledgements: “I love working with you. This was great.”

Most D2C founders I coach have this one problem: 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱. Culture doesn’t break because of strategy, it breaks because of disconnection. Teams slip into silos, communication becomes transactional, and soon, collaboration feels forced. But here’s the fix. And it takes just 15 minutes a week. 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹.” Every Friday, before wrapping up, gather your team (offline or online) and run a quick 3-part check-in: 1. One win – Each person shares their biggest highlight of the week. 2. One stuck point – A challenge where they’d love support. 3. One gratitude – A person they appreciate in the team and why. That’s it. 15 minutes. No slides, no reports, no overthinking. Why does this work? It reinforces shared wins, so your team celebrates together, not in silos. It normalizes vulnerability, making it easier to ask for help. It builds recognition into the culture, instead of waiting for appraisal cycles. I’ve seen founders adopt this and witness the shift within a month- more trust, better collaboration, and a culture where people actually want to show up. Remember: strategy scales your business, but rituals shape your culture. And this one is worth every minute. #scalingbusiness #gratitude #teamwork #teamrituals

Showing gratitude as a leader is an essential aspect of creating a positive and supportive work environment. Here are some ideas of how to show gratitude to your team: ❤️ Sincere Recognition: Take the time to acknowledge your team members' efforts and achievements genuinely and specifically. Highlight their contributions and the positive impact they've had on the team or the organization. ❤️ Personalized Thank-You Notes: I love to write personalized thank-you notes or emails to team members. Mention specific instances where their work made a difference and express your appreciation for their dedication. ❤️ One-on-One Meetings: Use one-on-one meetings to express gratitude individually. Ask about their work, inquire about their well-being, and acknowledge their contributions. This shows that you value them as individuals. ❤️Gifts or Tokens of Appreciation: Consider giving small gifts or tokens of appreciation. I am a fan of small notebooks with beautiful covers :-) or a book, or other personalized item. These gestures can show that you've put thought into expressing your gratitude. ❤️ Provide Development Opportunities: Show gratitude by investing in your team members' growth. Offer them opportunities for skill development, training, or additional responsibilities that align with their goals. ❤️ Provide Autonomy and Trust: Express gratitude by demonstrating trust in your team members' abilities. Give them autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their projects. This I think is the most essential part. I strongly believe that people are willing and able to contribute and make decisions. Just let them! ❤️ Regular Check-Ins: Regularly check in with your team members to understand how they're feeling and to express your gratitude for their consistent efforts. Remember that authentic and consistent expressions of gratitude are most meaningful. Tailor your approach to the preferences and personalities of your team members. By making gratitude a core part of your leadership style, you can contribute to a more positive, motivated, and engaged team.

The best team members don't need more perks - They need to feel seen: Most people don't leave because the work is hard. They leave because their effort feels invisible. If you want a stronger team, start here: 1. Say thank you fast ↳Don't wait for review season, say it while the work is fresh ↳Ex: "You handled that client call really well, thank you" 2. Be specific ↳Generic praise feels easy to forget, details make it real ↳Ex: "You caught the mistake before it became a bigger problem" 3. Praise in public ↳A small public shoutout builds pride and shows people what good looks like ↳Ex: Bring it up in the team meeting or group chat 4. Correct in private ↳Respect matters just as much as praise, maybe more ↳Ex: Save hard feedback for a one-on-one 5. Notice the small wins ↳Not every good job comes with a huge result, steady effort counts too ↳Ex: Thank someone for being prepared, helpful, or calm under pressure 6. Ask for their input ↳People feel valued when their ideas shape the work ↳Ex: "What's one thing you'd change if you were leading this?" 7. Trust them with more ↳Appreciation is not just words, it's responsibility ↳Ex: Let them own the next project, call, or decision 8. Protect their time ↳Respect shows up in calendars, not just compliments ↳Ex: Cut a meeting, simplify a process, or give them focus time 9. Celebrate effort, not just results ↳Sometimes great work does not lead to a perfect outcome, it still matters ↳Ex: "We didn't win it, but your prep and follow-through were strong" 10. Learn what matters to them ↳Not everyone likes praise the same way, ask what feels meaningful ↳Ex: Some people want a shoutout, others want quiet thanks 11. Write it down ↳A short note can last longer than a quick comment ↳Ex: Send a message they can save and reread on a hard day 12. Back them up ↳Real appreciation means support when things get messy ↳Ex: Step in when a customer, client, or teammate is being unfair 13. Keep doing it ↳Appreciation only works when it's a habit, not a random event ↳Ex: Make it part of your weekly leadership rhythm People do better work when they feel respected, And respect is often shown in small, repeatable moments. Which one of these do you think leaders skip most? For 20+ of my best free resources on how to grow as a leader, Sign up for my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gjEC_SCG --- ♻️ Repost to encourage managers to build stronger, more loyal teams. And follow me George Stern for more practical leadership advice.

Most people practice gratitude the wrong way. Including me: For 10 years, I wrote down 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳… and nothing changed. I wasn’t calmer. I wasn’t more centered. I wasn’t feeling any of the benefits. I finally realized I was doing gratitude wrong: I wasn’t feeling gratitude. I was thinking it. I was treating gratitude like a checklist. But it's a state change. And that’s why it didn’t work. Because gratitude only creates its real benefits when it triggers a 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: the calm, grounded, regulated state where your nervous system resets. As Tony Robbins says: “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲.” But you only get that effect when you actually 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 it. So I rebuilt my practice around a simple rule: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟯 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 For each thing you’re grateful for: 1. 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁 — replay the moment 2. 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘁 — why it mattered 3. 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘁 — pause 2–5 seconds and let your body shift That’s when gratitude stops being a journaling exercise… and becomes a high-performance tool. Less tension. More clarity. Better decisions. Faster recovery. Leadership presence that feels grounded instead of stressed. If it helps you, share it. Someone in your world might need this reset.

I've managed teams of 5 to 500. I've survived six presidential campaigns. The leaders I'd run through walls for weren't the loudest... They shared one overlooked X-factor: Gratitude. Gratitude doesn't make you less demanding. It makes your standards sustainable. The leaders people stay for aren't the ones who shout the most. They're the ones who notice. Gratitude isn't soft leadership. It's strategic. 10 ways a Gratitude System makes you a better leader: ( 💾 Save this as your weekly leadership reset.) 1. Notice the invisible labor that keeps things running. 2. Thank people for speaking up, especially when you disagree. 3. Acknowledge when someone's juggling a lot outside work. 4. Create a shared doc where team members recognize each other. 5. Replace "good job" with "here's what you did well." 6. Celebrate effort, not just outcomes. 7. Send a specific thank-you within 24 hours of great work. 8. Start team meetings by naming one win from the week. 9. Track gratitude like any other KPI. 10. Model receiving appreciation without deflecting it. Your team will forget most of your feedback. But they'll remember how seen they felt working for you. 💬 Tell me one specific moment you felt genuinely seen by a leader. ♻️ Pass this to the leader who made you better. ➕ Follow Emily Parcell for leadership that doesn't burn people out.

Most career advice is pure noise. But after 20+ years of scaling global tech teams, here's the one habit that's generated more opportunities, deeper connections, and unexpected innovations than any "growth hack": One thoughtful thank-you email. Every Friday. No exceptions. Here's the counterintuitive truth: Gratitude isn't just warm fuzzies—it's a strategic accelerator for your career and organization. The 60-Second System That Works: 1. Set a "Gratitude Alarm" 🔔 • Friday, 9 AM • No meetings, no distractions • Just you and your inbox 2. Pick ONE Person Who: • Challenged your thinking • Saved you from a blind spot • Made the impossible possible 3. Write with Specificity: • Skip the "thanks for everything" • Name the exact moment/action • Share the ripple effects The Hidden ROI (That Nobody Talks About): Neural Rewiring: This isn't just feel-good fluff. Weekly gratitude physically reshapes your brain's pattern recognition. You'll start spotting opportunities others miss. Trust Acceleration: In distributed teams, trust builds differently. One genuine thank-you creates more psychological safety than 10 "team building" exercises. Innovation Catalyst: When people feel seen, they take bigger risks. I've watched "thank you" emails transform cautious teams into innovation powerhouses. Pro Tip: Want 10x impact? Skip the email. Send a handwritten note instead. In our digital age, analog gratitude is your secret weapon. Your Challenge This Week: Who made your last 5 days better? They probably don't even know it. Time to change that. Drop a comment below if you're joining the Friday Thank You revolution. #LeadershipLessons #Innovation #GratitudeInTech

I used to think gratitude was soft: Then I watched it transform my team's performance. Years ago, I led a burned-out team. High turnover. Low morale. People doing just enough to survive. I tried everything: → Better compensation → Flexible schedules → Team events Nothing moved the needle. Then I changed one thing: How I practiced gratitude. Not fluffy appreciation. Strategic, intentional recognition. Leadership gratitude isn't: ❌ Generic "great job" comments ❌ Annual recognition programs ❌ Once-a-year awards ❌ Performative appreciation Leadership gratitude is: ✅ Specific and contextualized ✅ Regular and ritualized ✅ Collective and individual ✅ Process and outcome-focused ✅ Peer-enabled, not just top-down ✅ Invisible work and visible wins That's what prevents burnout. That's what builds performance. Lack of recognition is a top burnout driver. Download my free Burnout Field Guide: https://lnkd.in/gvGDssKi And start practising gratitude because gratitude isn't soft. It's burnout prevention infrastructure. Get the guide. Build the rituals. Prevent burnout through recognition.