IT Leadership

In my career, I have benefited from the guidance and leadership of many outstanding executives. One in particular always stood out, and not just because we worked together for a decade. He consistently exhibited a mindset and behavior that I believe is largely overlooked: He was genuinely grateful for the work, successes, and contributions of his team.

This executive wasn’t overly emotional or expressive, and he certainly wasn’t a pushover. He was laser-focused on results, tough when situations required it, and always honest. With 20/20 hindsight, I realize that his attitude of gratitude defined his leadership style, and it benefited him, his team, and the organization as a whole. It also made him likeable, respected, and credible. Gratitude is an underutilized leadership trait, and IT leaders would benefit from embracing it. In this article, I will explain why and offer advice on how to do so effectively.

The Positive Impacts of a Gratitude-Fueled Culture

Gratitude serves as a foundational cultural element for successful organizations, and IT leaders have the opportunity to reinforce it at the departmental level. Research on gratitude and psychology conducted by Dr. Robert A. Emmons and Dr. Michael E. McCullough shows that people who consciously cultivate gratitude are motivated to make positive changes in their lives. Additionally, when employees or team members feel appreciated and recognized, their satisfaction and productivity rise, and they’re more likely to demonstrate trust and cooperation.

IT leaders who embrace gratitude and recognition as a leadership trait benefit from a team that’s motivated to perform, innovate, and collaborate. Plus, that kind of culture attracts and retains top talent. Recognizing others also reminds leaders of the outstanding work happening under their noses, which is especially important in IT given the rapid pace of change and the complexity of many projects.

The Risks of Taking Recognition for Granted

When I think back to that exceptional leader who exemplified gratitude, it’s easy to forget the counterpoint. I also worked for organizations and leaders who took a myopic approach to recognition. They either believed that acknowledging staff was a soft gesture not befitting a “serious” leader, or they were so results-oriented that they missed the opportunity to recognize those who made achievements possible.

In Thanks for the Feedback: The Science & Art of Receiving Feedback Well, authors Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen explain that feedback (and recognition) is often interpreted based on past experiences and expectations. When expectations are low, as they often are in the IT field, individuals will likely view recognition as an isolated event rather than a cultural norm. When done correctly, recognition and gratitude become ingrained in an organization’s DNA. When IT leaders authentically express gratitude and recognize their teams, those behaviors become cultural anchors that bolster performance, trust, cooperation, and innovation.

Taking Action: How IT Leaders Can Embrace Gratitude

As you consider your leadership style, think about how you might incorporate gratitude and recognition into your daily actions. You don’t have to be an emotional, hug-it-out leader to make recognition a central tenet of your leadership. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Model Gratitude and Recognition Yourself

If you want to set a cultural norm, it starts with the leader’s behavior. Look for opportunities to recognize and be grateful for your team members. When they solve a complex problem, overcome a challenge, or innovate in a new direction, make sure you acknowledge them. Your recognition can be public or private, in a team setting or one-on-one, via an email, a conversation, or a post on your intranet. The delivery method isn’t as important as the authenticity and consistency of your recognition.

When people apologize for their successes or contributions, reframe the apology into a statement of gratitude. When they express doubt about their accomplishments, counteract those thoughts with recognition. You can’t recognize others effectively if you don’t recognize and appreciate the exceptional work happening within your team. Model the behavior you wish to see in your team members.

Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition

You can’t be everywhere at once, and it’s disingenuous to think you alone should recognize others. Encourage your team to recognize one another. This can take the form of a Slack shoutout, a project-specific recognition channel, or a message on a status dashboard. I’ve even seen IT teams recognize each other with an emoji-filled wiki page.

Establish guidelines for recognition — for example, require a specific explanation of what others did to earn recognition — to avoid empty gestures. While a simple “great job” is better than nothing, taking the time to explain why a colleague’s work was exceptional provides a broader context of what you value and encourages repetition of those behaviors.

Recognize and Celebrate Failure

Recognizing the failures is as important as acknowledging the successes. When someone takes a risk, tries a new approach, or experiments with a innovative idea, and it doesn’t pan out, make sure they know you’re grateful for their efforts, bravery, and willingness to try new things. Recognize that failure often births new innovations and solutions, and reinforce that belief with recognition and gratitude. Again, modeling this type of recognition yourself will pave the way for your team to do the same.

Regularly and Authentically Express Gratitude

Gratitude doesn’t need to be reserved for major accomplishments or innovations. Those working in IT often deal with the mundane in addition to the exciting. When someone fixes a problem effectively, ensure they know you’re grateful for their steady efforts. Are they always available to answer your questions, no matter how obscure? Let them know you appreciate their responsiveness and encyclopedic knowledge (or at least it seems that way!).

IT leaders are often pulled in many different directions, but taking time to express gratitude for the small things makes acknowledging larger achievements easier for both the giver and receiver. You will also develop a culture in which employees feel comfortable seeking recognition for their contributions, no matter how small or large they may seem.

Tie Recognition and Gratitude to Your Core Competencies

When recognition is tied to corporate values or core competencies, it reinforces what’s important to the organization, provides positive examples for others to follow, and clarifies what recognition looks like. IT leaders who recognize others based on the needs and values of the organization help establish a clear cultural framework for everyone.

Make Recognition a Component of Performance Management

Recognition shouldn’t be a one-time thing; it should be woven into the fabric of performance management. Incorporate it into your team’s goals, KPIs, and annual performance reviews. Recognition and gratitude have a multiplier effect: They reinforce corporate values, motivate and engage employees, and ultimately help organizations achieve their goals. IT leaders who make recognition a central component of a team’s culture and performance management process will see those benefits at both the individual and departmental levels.

Seek Feedback on Your Recognition Practices

As a leader, it can be challenging to know if your recognition practices are well received, especially if you don’t often receive direct feedback from your team. You can ask during team meetings or one-on-one sessions, but you may not get honest feedback on a somewhat sensitive topic.

This is where an engagement or culture survey can be useful. These surveys often include questions about recognition and appreciation, which can provide you with anonymous feedback on how effective you are in this area. If an engagement survey isn’t an option, consider creating your own survey to assess how your team perceives your recognition practices and how you can improve.

Make It Visible

Recognition and gratitude shouldn’t be a private affair. When you acknowledge others, do it publicly or in a way that others will see it. Publish gratitude messages on your Intranet, in a team newsletter, or on an office bulletin board. Make recognition visible, not only to the person being recognized, but to the rest of the team so that they understand what behaviors and accomplishments are valued.

Seek Opportunities to Thank Others

Part of leading with gratitude is looking for opportunities to say thank you. This means more than simply recognizing others’ contributions; it requires a mindset shift for leaders. Seek opportunities to express gratitude — for small things, for going above and beyond, for taking risks, for innovation, for consistency, or for anything else that’s important to your team and organization.

IT leaders who embrace a culture of gratitude and recognition often see increased collaboration, innovation, and engagement. Recognition and gratitude reinforce core corporate values, motivate and retain top talent, and ultimately help organizations achieve their goals. And those who are fortunate enough to work for these types of leaders are likely to feel greater job satisfaction and be more productive and effective in their work.