Who is on Your Gratitude List?

Thanksgiving is always a time I reflect on what I am grateful for. There is a growing body of evidence that has revealed that gratitude has significant benefits in every area of our lives, and it contributes substantially to our well-being. That is a good reason to be grateful, but even better is this quote I saw in a recent article by Misty Pratt.

“Gratitude helps people realize that they wouldn’t be where they are without the help of others.”

For that reason, I’d like to share some of the key people I am grateful for who specifically impacted me as a leader.

Meg – the first manager who invested in developing me (and shared important wisdom) when I was a young, ambitious engineer right out of college.

John – the sales colleague who gave me the confidence and encouragement I needed to flourish and grow very early in my career.

Dave – the VP who taught me more about business than my MBA program and promoted me into multiple roles that taught me so much.

Sandy – the first employee I ever managed. She gave me more than I ever gave her.

Mitch – the rising star who was a delight to develop and who turned around and hired me when he surpassed my rank in the organization.

Jerry – who gave me abundant opportunities to coach amazing leaders in his company.

Howard – who modeled servant leadership, smart business acumen and was the best boss I ever had.

Nick – who has helped shape me as a leader after twelve+ years of coaching me through thick and thin.

There are many more people on my leadership gratitude list, but there’s not enough room to list them all. Without these people, I wouldn’t be who I am today. There is a small part of them that shines through in everything I do as a leader and a leadership coach, and for that I am forever grateful!

Who is on your gratitude list?