Gratitude is easy when things are going well.
It becomes more meaningful when circumstances are difficult.
Over the course of a career, we encounter countless people who influence our lives and our work.
Some teach us.
Some challenge us.
Some open doors.
Some give us opportunities.
Some stand beside us when things become difficult.
And some simply believe in us when we are not yet certain of ourselves.
We should remember them.
More importantly, we should tell them.
Success Is Rarely Achieved Alone
Leadership can create the impression that success belongs to the person at the top.
It does not.
Every successful organization is built by many people.
Employees contribute their skills and commitment.
Partners provide expertise.
Customers provide the reason for the business to exist.
Mentors provide perspective.
Friends and family provide support.
Colleagues provide advice.
Sometimes a single conversation can change the direction of a career.
Sometimes a simple introduction can create an opportunity that would otherwise never have existed.
We may remember the outcome.
We should also remember the people who helped make it possible.
Say Thank You
There is tremendous power in two simple words.
Thank you.
Not because it is polite.
Because it acknowledges that someone else's contribution mattered.
A handwritten note.
A phone call.
An email.
A conversation over coffee.
None of these things requires much time.
Yet people remember them.
They remember when someone took the time to recognize their contribution.
Too often, we assume people know that we appreciate them.
They may not.
Tell them.
Gratitude Is Not Weakness
Some people associate gratitude with weakness.
I believe the opposite is true.
It takes confidence to acknowledge that you did not accomplish everything alone.
A leader who can recognize the contribution of others does not diminish their own accomplishments.
They strengthen them.
Gratitude demonstrates perspective.
It recognizes that leadership is not simply about authority.
It is about relationships.
And relationships are built through mutual respect.
Remember the Difficult Times
Gratitude is particularly important during adversity.
When things are going well, people often appear in abundance.
When circumstances become difficult, the numbers can change quickly.
That is when you discover who is prepared to stand beside you.
The person who makes the call.
The person who offers advice.
The person who makes an introduction.
The person who simply asks how you are doing.
Those gestures can mean more than the person making them realizes.
Remember them.
When circumstances improve, do not allow success to erase your memory of who stood beside you when things were difficult.
Gratitude Builds Relationships
Business is often described in terms of transactions.
I have always believed that relationships are more important than transactions.
A transaction ends.
A relationship can last decades.
Trust develops over time.
So does respect.
When people know that their contributions are recognized and appreciated, relationships become stronger.
That applies to employees.
It applies to clients.
It applies to colleagues.
It applies to business partners.
And it applies to the people outside our professional lives who support us in ways that never appear on a balance sheet.
Give Credit Generously
One of the simplest ways to demonstrate gratitude is to give credit.
When someone contributes to a successful outcome, recognize them.
Do not assume that because you were responsible for the final decision, you deserve all the recognition.
Leadership is often about bringing together the right people, creating the conditions for success and allowing them to do their best work.
Give them credit.
It costs very little.
And it tells people that their contribution matters.
Gratitude Should Not Be Reserved for Milestones
We often express gratitude at significant moments.
Retirement.
Promotions.
Awards.
Anniversaries.
Major accomplishments.
Those moments are appropriate.
But gratitude should not be reserved for ceremonies.
Recognize people along the way.
Thank the employee who stayed late.
Thank the colleague who helped solve a problem.
Thank the client who trusted you.
Thank the mentor who gave you good advice.
Thank the person who opened a door.
Small acknowledgements can have a lasting impact.
Gratitude Changes Perspective
There is another benefit to gratitude.
It changes the way we see our own circumstances.
It is easy to focus on what went wrong.
The missed opportunity.
The difficult decision.
The disappointing result.
The person who let us down.
The circumstances we could not control.
Those things are real.
But they are not the whole story.
A long career also contains people who helped.
Opportunities that appeared unexpectedly.
Lessons that came from difficult experiences.
Relationships that endured.
Moments that went better than expected.
Things we should be grateful for.
Recognizing them provides perspective.
Success Should Increase Gratitude
As success increases, gratitude should increase with it.
Not decrease.
The more responsibility we have, the more people contribute to the outcome.
The larger the organization, the greater the number of people whose work supports it.
The greater the opportunity, the more likely it is that someone helped create it.
Success should therefore make us more conscious of the people around us.
Not less.
Show Gratitude Through Action
Gratitude is more than saying thank you.
Sometimes the best way to show gratitude is to help someone else.
Make the introduction.
Share your experience.
Give someone an opportunity.
Provide advice.
Mentor someone.
Open a door.
Support a colleague.
When someone has helped you, one of the best ways to honour that contribution is to eventually do the same for someone else.
That is how good relationships and good leadership become part of something larger.
Be Grateful
A career is measured in many ways.
There are financial results.
There are accomplishments.
There are titles.
There are businesses built and organizations led.
But there is another measure that becomes increasingly important with experience.
How many people can you look back upon and say made a difference?
How many people can you thank?
How many people can say that you made a difference in their lives?
Those questions matter.
Because eventually, the numbers become history.
The relationships remain.
Show Gratitude
If someone helped you, tell them.
If someone believed in you, thank them.
If someone stood beside you during a difficult time, remember them.
If someone opened a door, acknowledge it.
If someone taught you something, pass it on.
And when you have the opportunity to help someone else, do it.
We all stand on the shoulders of people who came before us.
The measure of a successful career is not simply what we build.
It is also what we give back.
Be grateful. Show gratitude. And never forget the people who helped you along the way.