Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results

“I love, love, love this book! You will not only read it but mark it up and send it to your friends.” —Alan Mulally, retired CEO of the Ford Motor Company

Workers want and need to know their work is appreciated. Showing gratitude to employees is the easiest, fastest, most inexpensive way to boost performance. New research shows that gratitude boosts employee engagement, reduces turnover, and leads team members to express more gratitude to one another—strengthening team bonds. Studies have also shown that gratitude is beneficial for those expressing it and is one of the most powerful variables in predicting a person’s overall well-being—above money, health, and optimism. The Walt Disney Company knows this firsthand. When the leadership of the Disneyland theme park gave thousands of managers training in expressing gratitude to their employees, the park saw a double-digit percent increase in revenue.

Despite these benefits, few executives effectively utilize this simple tool. In fact, new research reveals “people are less likely to express gratitude at work than anyplace else.” What accounts for the staggering chasm between awareness of gratitude’s benefits and the failure of so many leaders to do it—or do it well? Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton call this the gratitude gap. In this invaluable guide, they identify the widespread and pernicious myths about managing others that cause leaders to withhold thanks.

Gostick and Elton also introduce eight simple ways managers can show employees they are valued. They supplement their insights and advice with stories of how many of today’s most successful leaders—such as Alan Mulally of Ford and Hubert Joly of Best Buy—successfully incorporated gratitude into their leadership styles.

Showing gratitude isn’t just about being nice, it’s about being smart—really smart—and it’s a skill that everyone can easily learn.

“A wonderful gift for leaders, those who aspire to lead, and anyone who wants to bring more joy and meaning into their lives.” —Dr. Jim Yong Kim, seventeenth president of Dartmouth College and twelfth president of the World Bank Group

“Amazing! These ideas will have a remarkable and immediate impact on your ability to lead other people.” —Marshall Goldsmith, author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There