A Thanksgiving Reflection for Leaders Who Keep Showing Up

Every year around this time, I find myself slowing down just enough to notice what’s been easy to miss in the rush of leading people, managing tension, and carrying responsibility.

Thanksgiving has a way of doing that.

 It invites us to pause.

To breathe.

To see again.

And for mission-minded leaders, that pause matters more than we think.

Here’s the truth I’m sitting with this year: gratitude is not soft. Gratitude is strength.

In my work with teams, trust is the accelerant that makes everything else possible. When trust is high, teams move faster, communicate clearly, and enjoy working together. When trust is low, everything slows down. You can feel the friction long before anyone names it.

Thanksgiving is an annual reminder to reset trust—to look at the people around us with a fresh posture.

 Not as obstacles.

Not as interruptions.

But as human beings doing the best they can with what they have.

It’s a shift of the heart. And that shift creates momentum.

Three simple ways leaders can practice gratitude this week:

- Notice the unseen effort.

Every team has people who quietly carry weight without asking for credit. Acknowledge it specifically.

 - Name the impact, not just the task.

 People feel valued when they understand how their work strengthens the mission.

- Lower your wall.

 Self-preservation closes doors. Gratitude opens them. Let others feel your appreciation without conditions.

These aren’t holiday gestures. They’re leadership habits. Small deposits that build trust long after the turkey is gone.

My Thanksgiving invitation to you:

Find one person—just one—who deserves to hear why their presence matters. Tell them what you see in them. Tell them the difference they make. Don’t wait for the “right moment.” Create one.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.

 —Jason