Gratitude: the strengths advantage

Gratitude is about being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen, both big and small

For product and transformation leaders, it’s the strength that builds morale, strengthens relationships, and sustains resilience by recognising contributions and progress

At the senior Head of, Director, General Manager, and C-Suite levels, gratitude takes shape as a leadership quality that reinforces connection and trust. Our work requires leaders who acknowledge effort and celebrate progress along the way

Examples of underuse. A Head of Engineering who underuses gratitude may overlook the extra effort teams put into delivery, leaving them feeling undervalued. A General Manager in Transformation who fails to thank stakeholders for their support risks weakening sponsorship and slowing things down

Examples of optimal use. A General Manager in Product who applies gratitude well might send a personal note to their teams after a demanding sprint, reinforcing appreciation and motivating continued collaboration. A CEO who demonstrates gratitude by publicly recognising the resilience of their employees during a challenging market shift signals respect, strengthens culture, and builds long term loyalty

Examples of overuse. Gratitude taken too far can become insincerity or build you a reputation of being a brown noser. A Director in Product who constantly thanks executives with excessive embellishment for routine approvals risks appearing hollow, diluting the impact of genuine recognition. A Chief Transformation Officer who showers praise on board members or investors at every opportunity, regardless of substance, may be perceived as brown nosing, weakening trust and credibility

The sweet spot is gratitude that is authentic and proportionate. Product and transformation leaders who use this strength well create trust, energise teams and stakeholders, and embed a culture of appreciation that sustains and improves business outcomes

Research shows that leaders who know, apply, and maximise their strengths experience higher resilience, stronger influence, and improved performance outcomes. Gratitude is just one of the 24 strengths that we explore in The Strengths Advantage

The Strengths Advantage

Book your team into the half-day workshop to explore how to best use the strength of gratitude, or choose the 90-minute 1:1 leader session to look at how you express gratitude and how that’s landing!