The Leadership Practice No One Teaches: Gratitude

For all the books, frameworks, certifications, and workshops we invest in as leaders, there’s one practice that rarely shows up in a syllabus, and yet consistently shapes culture, trust, and our own sense of purpose.

Gratitude.

Not the performative kind. And not the once-a-year, holiday-cued kind. I mean the kind that grounds you. The kind that connects you. The kind that quietly strengthens your leadership in ways metrics never could.
And for me, this season is a reminder to slow down and return to that practice on purpose.T

Thanksgiving has always marked a deeply reflective stretch in my own life. I met my husband on Thanksgiving weekend. Three years later, we got married on the same holiday weekend. This year, our anniversary actually falls on Thanksgiving. Our middle son was born on Black Friday and turned 13 this past weekend. We also spent part of the weekend preparing food for the Cahoots Community Center’s Thanksgiving celebration: a reminder that gratitude grows when it’s shared.

All of it together has made me think about the people, places, and moments that have shaped my life and leadership this year. And with so much happening in our schools, our communities, and our world, pausing to say thank you feels more important than ever.

This reflection is both personal and professional. Gratitude isn’t a soft skill; it’s a leadership practice that shapes culture, sustains vision, and reminds us why we do this work.

So, here are the things, and more importantly, the people ,I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving.

What Shaped Me: Mentors Who Saw What I Couldn’t Yet See

I’m endlessly thankful for the leaders who stepped into my story before I fully understood where I was headed. The ones who handed me opportunities I didn’t think I was ready for. The ones who said, “You can do this,” long before I believed it.

These mentors didn’t just open doors; they changed the way I saw myself. Their visibility became my mirror. Their confidence became my catalyst.

Who Grounds Me: Mentees Who Keep My Work Hopeful

If mentors shape your past, mentees shape your future. I’m grateful for the early-career leaders who trust me with their questions, their dreams, and their first big wins. They remind me that leadership isn’t a ladder; it’s a circle.

Every conversation with a new education leader re-centers me on what matters: people, purpose, and the promise of what’s ahead. Their curiosity keeps me sharp. Their honesty keeps me humble. Their hope keeps me moving.

Why It Matters: Public Education as the Great Promise

Public education remains one of our most powerful promises, that every child, regardless of zip code or circumstance, has a seat at the table of learning.

This year, I’m especially grateful for the quiet heroes in our schools: counselors holding up students who are shouldering too much, paraprofessionals and support staff who show up early and stay late, cafeteria teams serving with care, nurses tending to scraped knees and heavy hearts, office staff keeping the engine running, teachers igniting curiosity, and tech teams making sure learning is accessible and safe for all. Their work often goes unseen, but the impact is everywhere.

The Work That Demands Our Best: Systems That Serve People

I’m thankful to be in a profession where the stakes are high because the people are worth it: kids, families, communities, and colleagues. Not everyone gets to say their work makes a difference. We do.

This year, I’ve been building systems that matter: Service Level Agreements that protect both capacity and relationships, procurement frameworks that balance innovation with sustainability, and professional development structures that honor educators’ expertise while expanding their impact. Even on the messy, overloaded days, it is an incredible privilege to create infrastructure that helps students thrive and helps educators focus on the magic of teaching and learning.

The Complexity That Makes Us Better: Problems Worth Solving

I’m thankful for work that doesn’t have easy answers — budget constraints that require creative problem-solving, technology decisions that balance innovation with long-term sustainability, and change management that honors both progress and people.

This complexity isn’t a burden; it’s what makes educational leadership worth doing. It’s where strategy meets soul. It’s where systems thinking becomes an act of care.

The People Who Lead With Heart: Colleagues Who Make the Work Lighter

Leadership is lighter when you’re surrounded by people who show up with generosity, empathy, and integrity. I’m deeply grateful for the colleagues who ask the hard questions, who offer help before you even know you need it, who laugh with you in the chaos, and who remind you that the work doesn’t have to be lonely.

These are the culture-shapers, the ones who make teams feel like communities and work feel like purpose.

The Communities That Trust Me to Serve: Boards That Expand My Impact

This year, I’m especially thankful for the teams and communities who have invited me to serve: CoSN, the Indiana CTO Council, and the Angola Area Chamber of Commerce, among others. It’s an honor to sit alongside leaders who care deeply about students, systems, and the future of education.

Their trust fuels my commitment. Their collaboration strengthens my perspective. And together, we’re shaping the kind of work that elevates the whole ecosystem.

The Schools That Made Me: Classrooms That Raised a Leader

I wouldn’t be who I am without the schools and classrooms that raised me, as a student, as a teacher, and now as a leader. I’m grateful for my former students who taught me more than I ever taught them, for the colleagues who helped me grow, for the mentors who guided my first steps, and for my own children who remind me why this work matters on the most personal level.

Every stage of school has added a layer to the leader I’m becoming.

The Future I’m Building: Purpose, Clarity, and Impact

This season, I’m grateful for the road ahead, the book taking shape, the consulting work expanding, the brand finding its voice, and the leadership opportunities unfolding. It’s a blessing to build a future rooted in purpose, clarity, and impact.

I’m thankful for the chance to serve, to grow, and to dream, and even more thankful for the people walking alongside me on the journey.

Gratitude: The Leadership Practice That Changes Everything

Gratitude isn’t soft. It isn’t extra. And it isn’t seasonal.
It’s strategy.
It’s culture-building.
It’s clarity.
And in a world where leadership can feel heavy, fast, and relentlessly complex, gratitude is the one practice that pulls us back to why we lead in the first place.

So as you move into this holiday week, whether you’re traveling, hosting, resting, or simply catching your breath, I hope you make space for the leadership practice no one teaches but every leader deserves: gratitude in motion.

Gratitude for your work. Gratitude for your people. Gratitude for the impact you make, even when no one sees it.

Thank you for leading with heart. Thank you for continuing to build a world where students, teachers, and communities thrive. And thank you for being part of this journey with me.

Wishing you a season filled with rest, reflection, and joy.