3 Ways for Leaders to Practice Gratitude Each Day—and Why That Matters

My inbox was already overflowing, I was responding to constant walkie-talkie calls, and I still hadn’t eaten my lunch. I leaned back in my chair and thought to myself, “I’m exhausted and it’s only November.”

As I searched for a sticky note to add some more tasks to my to-do list, I spotted a box on a shelf that I hadn’t opened in a long time. Inside were cards and notes I’d collected over the years, including thank-you messages from families, drawings from students, and kind words from staff.

I must’ve read a dozen old notes that afternoon. The first one said, “Thank you for remembering my name and making me feel special.” Another said, “You’re a wonderful leader. I know I can always count on your support.”

Little by little, my shoulders relaxed. I took a deep breath, and for the first time all day, I felt grounded again. The to-do list was still waiting for me, but those messages reminded me why I made the choice to lead my school each day.

That moment became a turning point. I decided to end every day by reflecting on what and who I was grateful for. It’s a small habit, but it’s kept me steady and joyful through many demanding school years.

3 simple ways to build more gratitude into your daily life

1. Take a leadership gratitude walk. Sometimes the best way to reset your mindset is to step out of your office and walk the building with gratitude in mind.

Usually, classroom walk-throughs focus on instruction, student engagement, and behavior, but a gratitude walk shifts your attention to something just as powerful: what’s strong, rather than wrong, in your school. A gratitude walk doesn’t require a new initiative, a new system, or prior planning. Simply spend 10 minutes noticing and naming what’s going right: a teacher calmly guiding a student who needs support, laughter between colleagues, or a custodial team working hard to make the hallways shine.

On my most recent gratitude walk, I visited the reading specialist’s room to catch a glimpse of a lesson. As I watched a student attempt to read a challenging word and saw his eyes light up once he read it, I was filled with joy! His teacher immediately flashed a bright smile as they exchanged a heartfelt high five. Later that day, I checked back in with the teacher and thanked her for her hard work with the student. When leaders share the great things we observe on our gratitude walks, people genuinely feel seen, and they are more motivated to show up, despite hard times.

2. Celebrate progress, not perfection. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a leader is that gratitude and perfection don’t mix. If we wait until everything is perfect to be thankful, we’ll be waiting forever. There’s always another student to reach, another initiative to launch, and another goal to meet, but when we slow down long enough to notice progress, we start to see the incredible growth that’s happening all around us. Creating a culture of gratitude in our schools begins with how leaders intentionally build up others in our care. Here are a few ways we can foster gratitude schoolwide:

• Connect gratitude and purpose. Remind staff that their teaching makes a significant difference every day. Share specific examples that highlight the impact teachers have on students and families.
• Be a present, empathetic leader. Listening actively, being visible around your school, and showing care when staff are having a hard time demonstrate gratitude through action, not only words.
• Empower staff to recognize each other. Displaying a “Shout-Out” wall or encouraging staff to uplift and compliment each other over email helps to give everyone a voice in spreading joy.

During the month of November, our staff has been playing “Gratitude Bingo,” a game designed to spread staff appreciation and increased well-being. Each person received an individual bingo board with simple tasks to undertake, such as “Call or send a positive note home for a student,” “Listen to your favorite song on the way to work,” and “Share a favorite teaching resource with a colleague.” Once each person finishes five tasks and turns in their bingo card, their name is entered in a drawing to win a prize. Gratitude Bingo is a fun way to break up the monotony of late fall, but it can be played any time of year!

Gratitude helps us understand that there’s always something to be thankful for, no matter how small. Emotional wins are just as important as instructional ones. When we celebrate progress instead of perfection, morale rises across the building.

3. Harness the power of self-gratitude. As school leaders, we often forget to thank ourselves. At times, our job can feel thankless, so practicing self-gratitude can be a powerful source of internal encouragement to help us keep serving others to the best of our ability. I admit that it can feel uncomfortable to acknowledge our own hard work. Yet leadership requires emotional endurance, and self-gratitude is one of the most overlooked tools for maintaining it.

Self-gratitude doesn’t mean pretending everything went smoothly. It means pausing at the end of the day or week to notice something you handled with care, courage, or calmness. Maybe you de-escalated a tough parent phone call with empathy, or maybe you showed patience with a struggling student, or you simply made it through a demanding day without losing your composure. Good leadership is dynamic, and those moments matter the most.

When I was a new administrator, I struggled with trying to keep up my leadership momentum. My first year as an assistant principal was a particularly hard transition to manage because I came from a kindergarten classroom. To help increase my personal motivation, I started writing my “wins” every day in a marble notebook. Over the course of that year, I amassed over 100 pages of reflections, celebrations, and notes that I saved and recorded. When I was feeling low, I would take out my journal, skim old pages, and remind myself that my efforts mattered to our students, staff, and families.

Over time, this practice helps you see your leadership through a lens of growth. It builds self-confidence and reminds you that every day, you are contributing to the success of your school. Before you close your laptop for the day, take a moment and say, “I did great work today.” You deserve to hear it from yourself.

Joy is Still Here

Lately, when things feel overwhelming, I remind myself that gratitude can make a positive difference. Practicing gratitude doesn’t mean pretending that everything is perfect or ignoring the hard realities of our jobs. Gratitude is powerful because it helps us to see the full picture and acknowledges that great things are still happening in our schools, even on the toughest days.

Maybe today you’ll come across an old note from a student that still makes you smile, or you’ll stop to appreciate a teacher who is making progress, or you’ll take a walk through classes and notice the laughter that fills the room. Joy is still here. Sometimes we just have to pause long enough to see it.