Gratitude—More than a Feeling
Between 2008 and 2017, I worked as an adjunct professor for five universities, teaching various business, communication, and literature courses for undergraduate and graduate students. Throughout all the preparation and classes, and all the work that comes with grading papers and projects, working directly with the students was always the most rewarding part of the job. In fact, like many other teachers and professors, the experience of seeing students make a breakthrough and conquer a learning challenge was thanks enough for all the work. And I believe we all meant it. However, in 2022, I had an experience that brought great joy to my life.
Eleven years after teaching a literature course in the suburbs of Chicago, I received an unexpected online form from a student. The essence of the email was a heartfelt 'thank you' for demonstrating how two individuals could disagree (even passionately) and continue to treat each other respectfully. I was genuinely surprised and deeply touched that this student had found my blog and took the time to express his gratitude for an experience in a class I taught.
According to The American Psychological Association, gratitude is a sense of thankfulness and happiness that comes in response to a situation or a gift.1 Psychology Today has described gratitude as the appreciation for what we have. Others have defined gratitude as an emotion or an internal feeling. In her book, 9 Leader Touchstones, Dr. Jes DeShields adopts Robert Emmons's definition for the touchstone, gratitude: "Gratitude is reflecting an appreciation for what brings meaning to your life and recognizing and expressing that the source of value falls outside yourself."2 DeShields coaches leaders and teams that “saying thank-you” does not go far enough. You must recognize the source of the gratitude and understand its value to you. By more meaningfully evaluating and expressing gratitude the benefits extend to both the giver and the receiver.
There's no shortage of anecdotal stories regarding the value of experiencing a grateful attitude. Beyond the stories, however, there is increasing evidence of gratitude's value. In 2003, Emmons and McCullough published their findings in three studies of individuals instructed to reflect on hassles, gratitude, or neutral thoughts.3 In most cases, the gratitude participants exhibited heightened well-being. Nearly 15 years later, another study looked at college students seeking mental health counseling.4 Researchers divided students into three groups, each with different instructions:
One group wrote a letter of gratitude.
One wrote about a negative experience.
The final group wrote nothing.
Results from the study showed that those who wrote gratitude letters showed markedly better mental health four and twelve weeks later.
The positive effect of gratitude expands beyond mental health and measures positive thinking. In 2009, a study chronicled a sleep research project that studied more than 400 individuals5. Using several measures, including gratitude, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-statement test of pre-sleep cognitions, the Mini-IPIP scales of Big Five personality traits, and the Social Desirability Scale, researchers looked for predictors of sleep quality and duration. Ultimately, this is the first study indicating that a positive trait could be related to sleep quality above other personality traits. Gratitude could be used as a predictor of improved sleep quality and duration. Similarly, in 9 Leader Touchstones, DeShields describes her personal experience of journaling and utilizing her fitness tracker.2 Over 90 days, DeShields recorded ten personal expressions of gratitude. Over the 90-day period, her fitness tracker demonstrated a literal improvement in her REM sleep. Of course, DeShields did not have an isolated experience, nor is it without empirical studies.
So many of these articles, papers, and research regarding gratitude describe processes, including journaling, writing letters, and/or meditation. As powerful as these can be, it feels as if we are settling on gratitude as a mindset. Almost a feeling or a sense of being. However, DeShields has written that it should be more than that: "A grateful attitude does not go far enough to evoke gratitude's positive, neurological, and physiological effects. Gratitude is an action, not a mindset."2
In the case of my experience, the student I mentioned in my opening story may have experienced a positive memory, but the true experience of gratitude came when it elicited a behavior—he wrote me an email to express his gratitude and to explain what my actions had meant to him personally. Many have read articles such as 'Gratitude and well-being: the benefits of appreciation,' and developed personal practices such as reflecting on what they are grateful for. However, growing research indicates that there is power in expressing gratitude—power for the one expressing and power for the one receiving the expression of gratitude. This underscores the personal benefits of expressing gratitude, inspiring and motivating us to incorporate this practice into our daily lives.
While I encourage everyone to consider the power of possessing and expressing gratitude, this is even more critical for those of us in leadership roles. Many leaders and employers are realizing the transformative power of showing gratitude to employees. For instance, the retired CEO of Campbell Soup wrote more than 30,000 thank-you notes during his tenure. As DeShields experienced actual benefits from the practice of gratitude, leaders will see practical benefits in expressing gratitude to employees. Researchers have documented that employees who experience gratitude have increased engagement, greater motivation, stronger connections, and more. This underscores the influence of gratitude in leadership, empowering both the one demonstrating and the one receiving gratitude.
1. APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018). https://dictionary.apa.org/gratitude
2. DeShields, J. (2023). 9 Leader Touchstones: Unleash Your Team’s Unique Potential and Build a Dynamic, Enduring Organization. Leader First Publishing.
3. Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389.
4. Brown, J. and Wong, J. (2017). How gratitude changes you and your brain. Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain