Grateful To You: Express Thanks For Better Workplace Outcomes
Gratitude completely matters.
On the 12th anniversary of Take The Lead’s launch, we are extremely grateful to the global community supporting the mission of gender parity in leadership across all sectors through programs, events, trainings, coaching, mentorship and multiplatform resources.
To echo that gratitude, it is crucial to suggest the need for today’s leaders to express thanks to colleagues, employees and clients in a challenging era when many feel anxious and overworked. The goal is to create and maintain a culture of intentional community with high expectations, fruitful outcomes and a sense of belonging, social connectedness, value and purpose. Not with rote, brief recognition, but with true gratitude. The outcome is retention, profit, expansion, creativity and a sense of wellness at work.
Read more in Take The Lead on gratitude at work.
“Gratitude is the most powerful tool I have ever used; it never fails to lift the spirits of all involved,” writes Kerry Alison Wekelo, CEO at Actualize Consulting, in her 2020 book, Gratitude Infusion: Workplace Strategies for a Thriving Organizational Culture.
“Gratitude is the most powerful tool I have ever used; it never fails to lift the spirits of all involved,” writes @KerryWekelo, CEO Actualize Consulting, in her book, Gratitude Infusion: Workplace Strategies for a Thriving Organizational Culture. #gratitude #strategies ”
“The gratitude ripple effect is powerful. Creating a thriving culture of gratitude positively impacts everyone who touches that culture—individuals, teams, managers and ultimately clients,” she writes.
Now is a time when sincere appreciation can reduce stress and enhance productivity when they are needed most. According to Gartner’s 9 Future Work Trends of 2026 study, “The rise of intense work styles has grabbed headlines, but most organizations are not radically or intentionally changing their culture. Most are simply expecting more from employees without offering more in return.”
“Study @Gartner Future Work Trends of 2026:“Most organizations are not radically or intentionally changing their culture. Most are simply expecting more from employees without offering more in return.” #gratitude #engagement #workplace @takeleadwomen ”
At times like these, does a simple note, email, text or phone message from the top congratulating and thanking you for your efforts even matter?
Yes.
“Positive action is always the best antidote. It interrupts the cycle of negativity. When we do something — anything — it sets off a chain reaction that can lift us up from depression and anxiety,” writes Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead. One action can be a message of appreciation.
“Gloria Feldt, prez, cofounder, @takeleadwomen: “Positive action is always the best antidote. It interrupts the cycle of negativity. When we do something — anything — it sets off a chain reaction that can lift us up from depression and anxiety.” #gratitude #workplace #thankful #culture ”
Read more from Gloria Feldt on gratitude
The Gartner report states, “Operating conditions and work requirements are outpacing culture as performance pressure grows. This is producing cultural dissonance that can lead to plummeting levels of engagement and degraded employment brand, both of which threaten CEO’s performance ambitions.”
“New @Gartner report: “Operating conditions and work requirements are outpacing culture as performance pressure grows... producing cultural dissonance that can lead to plummeting levels of engagement and degraded employment brand...” #disengagement #risks #leadership #gratiutude ”
Part of this disconnect is due to the use of AI, with 84% of leaders saying they use GenAI tools within the organization. This can lead to “AI psychosis,” among teams, Gartner reports, and can result in poor performance and lower outcomes.
In their latest 2025 employee engagement survey, Gallup finds an average of just 31% of U.S. employees who say they are actively engaged at work, “unchanged from 2024, but down from 36% in 2020. That means nearly 70% are not engaged.
“New @Gallup poll: “31% of U.S. employees say they are actively engaged at work, down from 36% in 2020.” That means nearly 70% are not engaged. #workplace #dissatisfaction #engaged @takeleadwomen”
GenZ and Millennial workers seem most dissatisfied with how supervisors treat them, Gallup reports. Only 41% of these workers agree that, “My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.” That means, most do not. Additionally, “The qualitative data revealed that employees mostly want to feel cared about at work."
Read more on gratitude from Gloria Feldt
To feel more cared about at work, 34% said supportive relationships, communication and respect would help. Offering clearer expectations, with clarity in communication will improve engagement and performance, say 81% of leaders and 66% of workers.
“ Poll @Gallup: 81% of leaders, 66% workers say offering clearer expectations, with clarity in communication will improve engagement and performance. #workculture #employees #leadership #positivity ”
It is not as easy as turning on the happy button with colleagues and managers, but expressing gratitude and feeling gratitude, according to a Harvard University study , “creates a cognitive shift, helping people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences for longer, and consciously build stronger, more resilient relationships” at work, Forbes reports.
Read more in Take The Lead on workplace wellbeing
In the workplace, “One of the best ways to nurture that feeling and create psychological safety is by regularly expressing appreciation—not only for visible successes but also for behind-the-scenes efforts, failed experiments, and courageous behavior, such as offering a divergent perspective in a meeting,” Minette Norman, co-author of The Psychological Safety Playbook, tells Forbes.
Retention and high performance are outcomes of credible practices of appreciation (not rote callouts of thanks), Forbes reports. Dr. Michelle Rozen tells Forbes, “People don’t just stay for paychecks; they stay where they feel truly appreciated and valued as human beings. A high-gratitude environment fosters loyalty that transcends transactional relationships.”
It isn’t just occasional expressions of gratitude that help employees achieve their best work; it is consistence with fairness, equity, as well as gender and racial parity in pay, treatment and opportunities.
Very specific expressions of gratitude at work make a difference. According to PR Daily, “Real, grounded, intentional gratitude has the power to build trust, deepen influence and unlock opportunity. Gratitude not only makes you more likable and effective, it also strengthens relationships, boosts team performance, increases resilience under pressure and even expands your ability to see possibility instead of threat.”
“Gratitude not only makes you more likable and effective, it also strengthens relationships, boosts team performance, increases resilience under pressure and even expands your ability to see possibility instead of threat,” reports @PRDaily #gratitude #performance #leadership @takeleadwomen ”
Gratitude is a winning strategy of excellent leadership. On the other side of the grateful coin, apologies go a long way also. Inc.com reports, “Miscommunications, resentments, and hurt feelings worsen when left to fester; this can cause serious morale and productivity issues. As hard as it is to apologize, it is better to do so than to leave issues unsettled. “
Read more in Take The Lead on emotions at work
A study in the journal Psychological Science finds that there are several ways in which we underestimate the impact of saying thank you. “First, we miscalculate how grateful the recipient is likely to be. Participants were asked to guess, on a scale of one to five, how happy someone will be to receive such a note. While senders typically guessed a three, recipients usually rated their response at a four or five.”
“Research @PsychologicalScience: “On a scale of 115, recipients report a 4 or 5 on how happy they will be to receive a thank you, while senders say 3.” #gratitude #workplace ”
A 2025 Science Direct study shows that gratitude is equally positive for the giver as well as the recipient of thanks. The social support developed from expressing and receiving gratitude acts as a buffer against stress, further contributing to improved mental health.” Additionally, “Positive life perception develops with gratitude, which fulfills psychological needs like relatedness, competence, and autonomy, which are crucial to overall life satisfaction. Gratitude further builds resilience.”
“2025 @ScienceDirect study: “Positive life perception develops with gratitude, which fulfills psychological needs like relatedness, #competence, and autonomy, which are crucial to overall life #satisfaction. #Gratitude further builds #resilience.” #workplace #leadership ”
Read more in Take The Lead on wellbeing at work
My late mother was keen on handwritten thank you notes. My five siblings and I were required to write one for each gift received—and it must be mailed or delivered promptly.
In four decades of working in journalism, I have received heartfelt thanks from editors for my columns and books. Event organizers thank me for my keynotes or panel moderation. Organization presidents and CEOs thank me for contributions of time and expertise. Clients write to tell me how much I have helped them. Students from years past write notes of gratitude for specific things I taught them.
In the workplace, expressing gratitude regularly leads to social connectedness as well as group satisfaction. Leaders would improve the workplace culture if they genuinely thanked individuals for specific work—even if it means handwriting a note and dropping it in a colleague’s mail slot. The old-fashioned way.
