It’s a gratitude time of year, isn’t it? In this next week leading up to Thanksgiving, we get all kinds of messaging about being thankful. Brands are thankful for customers. Parents are thankful for children. Friends are thankful for each other. Community organizations are thankful for donors. The poor are thankful for gifts.

Leaders are thankful for team members.

You are sharing that message, right?

Your mission for the next seven days is to actually express that gratitude. There are numerous ways you can do so: a handwritten note, donuts for the team, an extra bit of PTO, a nomination for your organization’s recognition program, catering lunch.

The most obvious, though often the most challenging, is to actually say “thank you“.

You can do it. I know you can.

  • Thank you for joining my team.
  • Thank you for solving our customer’s problem today.
  • Thank you for always being here on time.
  • Thank you for being such a positive influence on the team.
  • Thank you for identifying that glitch in our system.
  • Thank you for always taking on the most challenging assignments.
  • Thank you for mentoring our new team members.
  • Thank you for doing such a great job on that report.
  • Thank you for covering the holiday shift.
  • Thank you for sharing your success tips with the rest of the team.
  • Thank you for always following through on your commitments.
  • Thank you for consistently doing high quality work.
  • Thank you for building your career here at this company.
  • Thank you for suggesting ways we can be more effective and efficient.
  • Thank you for providing honest feedback and helping me grow as a leader.

You get the idea.

Consistently and sincerely offering gratitude inspires commitment and loyalty. Recognizing good work inspires more good work. Leading with the heart inspires the heart to follow, as well.

If you aren’t in the habit of expressing gratitude to your team members, what better time to start than Thanksgiving week?