📬 In This Week’s Issue:
Why noticing effort matters more than praising outcomes
How gratitude sharpens your attention as a leader
Simple ways to practice gratitude with your team
Reader Q&A on trust, habits, and team motivation
Setting the Stage
Thanksgiving week always brings up the idea of gratitude. Most leaders see it as a nice gesture or a moment to reflect. But gratitude isn’t just something you feel. It’s something you practice.
Gratitude forces you to slow down and pay attention to what’s working, who’s growing, and where real progress is happening. When you practice gratitude, you stop overlooking the small wins that keep your team moving forward. And the more you notice, the better leader you become.
🔎 THE BIG INSIGHT
What Gratitude Actually Does for a Leader
A lot of people think gratitude is about being positive. It’s not. It’s about being aware.
When you practice gratitude, you tune into things you would normally miss:
Someone stepping up without being asked.
Someone handling a tough situation well.
Someone putting in extra effort when they didn’t have to.
Someone growing in a way you didn’t see last month.
You start recognizing contribution instead of assuming it. You start seeing your team as they are today, not who they were six months ago. You start catching small improvements before they turn into big wins.
Gratitude helps you read your team clearly. And clear reading leads to better leadership decisions.
Why Noticing Effort Changes How a Team Works
Most people don’t need constant praise. They need to know their effort is visible. When you notice effort, a few things happen:
People stay engaged.
They keep taking initiative.
They bring you better ideas.
They trust you more.
They push a little harder because they know you see it.
Noticing effort strengthens the relationship between you and your team. It creates a steady rhythm of recognition, not the once-a-year version. And that rhythm builds consistency, confidence, and momentum.
Gratitude lowers pressure and raises performance. It makes work feel lighter, not heavier.
Simple Gratitude Habits for Leaders
You don’t need a big speech or a special moment. Small habits work best. Here are a few to use this week and beyond:
End your day by naming three things someone on your team did well. This keeps your attention sharp and trains you to see progress.
Give quick, specific recognition. Skip the general “good job.” Instead say, “I noticed how you handled that situation. That mattered.”
Tell people how their effort helps the team. Connection creates meaning. Meaning creates effort.
Look for quiet wins. The steady, behind-the-scenes work fuels more success than the loud moments. Don’t miss them. These habits take less than a minute, but they change how people feel about their work and how they feel about you as their leader.
💬 READER QUESTIONS
Q: How do I show gratitude without sounding scripted or forced?
Keep it simple and specific. Point to one action someone took and why it helped. Authenticity comes from clarity, not enthusiasm.
Q: What if I don’t feel naturally grateful?
Start with noticing. Gratitude follows awareness. Once you begin seeing small wins, feeling grateful becomes much easier.
Q: How often should leaders express gratitude?
More often than you think. Not every hour, but weekly rhythms matter. A steady stream beats a once-a-year highlight.
Q: Is there a wrong way to practice gratitude?
Yes. Generic praise or over-the-top compliments feel fake. Gratitude works when it’s grounded in real observations.
Take Away
If you want people to give their best effort, start by noticing it. Gratitude isn’t soft. It’s a leadership habit that strengthens your team from the inside out.
~ Chad Todd
P.S.
If you want to build a culture where effort is seen and people stay engaged, Culture Wheel gives you the tools to build better habits, better conversations, and better teams.