Leadership Toolkit | The Gratitude Audit: What You’re Overlooking Is Shaping Your Leadership
- alexandrapflaumer
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
April 2026
Alexandra Pflaumer
Mountain valley roads somewhere between Blausee and Muri b. Bern
Yesterday, I was driving home from Blausee with my family. It is about 40 minutes from our house, and the entire drive feels unreal. Mountains, lakes, the kind of scenery that makes you stop mid-conversation just to take it in. Places that your phone camera can never completely capture the beauty of.
And I had this thought I couldn’t shake: Do people who grow up here just… get used to it?
Because I haven’t. Every time, I notice it. I don't think there will ever be a day that it doesn't take my breath away.
But then the question flipped on me. What did I get used to before we moved?
Back in North Carolina, I didn’t think twice about having space. A single-family home. A big yard. Quick, easy errands. Being on the same or nearby time zones with my loved ones. Predictable convenience.
I didn’t feel grateful for those things at the time. I just expected them.
Sometimes its easy to recognize the value of the moment, and other times, we tend to recognize value after it’s gone.
As a leader, this blind spot matters more than you think.
The leadership cost of taking things for granted
When you stop noticing something, you also stop reinforcing it.
A reliable team member who never gets acknowledged starts to feel resentful
A culture that “just works” until it suddenly doesn’t
Processes that run smoothly… until it breaks under pressure
You lose them gradually, through inattention.
Gratitude is important in maintaining what’s already working, ensuring others feel valued, and leading with awareness.
The Gratitude Audit (5–10 minutes, max)
Check in with yourself and audit your own gratitude.
Step 1: Identify
What feels “normal” or expected right now?
A person
A team dynamic
A system that makes your life easier
If it disappeared tomorrow, what would you suddenly miss?
Step 2: Reflect
What impact is it actually having?
Be specific.
Not “they’re helpful,” but “they reduce friction for the entire team”, “they’re always the first to help someone learn” or “they create psychological safety in meetings.”
Step 3: Express it
If it involves a person or team, tell them.
Not in a vague way. In a clear, direct way:
What you appreciate
Why it matters
The impact it has
This takes two minutes. And it lands. Bonus points if you hand write it.
Studies consistently show that feeling gratitude improves well-being, but expressing it has an even stronger effect. It reinforces connection, increases positive emotion, and even shifts how our brain processes what we pay attention to. Additionally, employees who feel valued are more likely to stay motivated, perform well, and stick around. Your expression is physical evidence that someone appreciates them.
In other words, when you say it out loud or write it down, it sticks more, for both of you.
A simple exercise to use with your team
At the end of a project, offsite, or even a regular team meeting:
Watch this short video: An Experiment in Gratitude | The Science of Happiness
Ask everyone to write a short message of gratitude to:
A teammate
A cross-functional partner
Or someone outside of work
Give them 3–5 minutes. Then have them send it. That’s it.
It sounds small, but it does two things:
It forces reflection (which increases awareness)
It strengthens relationships immediately
Take the time to participate yourself. Don’t force people to share. Let each individual absorb the impact of the exercise.
For some of you, you may be thinking this topic is overly simple, and it might be. For others, you may be realizing that, in the throes of work chaos, you have let gratitude slip. The simplest aspects of leadership can often be unintuitive or quickly bypassed. I encourage you to be intentional about leading by example here- reflecting and expressing gratitude increases your self-awareness and encourages a culture in which people feel seen and valued. Your actions, and inactions, inspire similar behaviors in others.
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