Thoughtful, sincere praise might be the most underutilized gift leaders can give.

Everybody wants to feel that they are valued, and be recognized for it.

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The holidays is the time in the calendar that managers often do this most deliberately. Whether it’s bonuses, personalized notes, 1:1 meetings, or something more public.

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For some leaders, this comes naturally… and they do a terrific job regularly communicating their appreciation for others’ hard work and contributions.

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But there are times it doesn’t feel sincere… and can come across more as polite “management speak”... and that can have the opposite effect, hurting morale, and relationships.

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For me personally, I’ve recently tapped into a much deeper feeling of gratitude. I’m amazed by the hard work and talent of the Alliance team. Their success creates our success. I feel tremendously lucky.

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I love having the grateful mentality about life… It's strengthening my relationships with my team, in my personal life, and is fostering a sense of joy and success in many aspects of my life.

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Alliance has had another tremendous year, and I truly feel grateful (not just appreciation) for each and every contribution. This isn’t just about Alliance employees. I’m also thinking about our many partners. We work with attorneys, accountants, bankers, brokers, and many other fantastic professionals. They make big contributions to our success.

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We’re all in this together.

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