How Do You Say Thanksgiving?

Say it out loud: Thanksgiving.

Now say it again, but this time notice where you put the emphasis.

THANKSgiving? Or thanksGIVING?

It's not just pronunciation. The emphasis fundamentally alters the focus.

THANKSgiving is about gratitude.

When you emphasize THANKS, you're focused on recognition and appreciation. You're acknowledging what you've received, what others have contributed, what's already present. This is the leader who walks through the office and notices the team member who stayed late to finish the deck, the person who defused a client situation before it got to you, the team that's been grinding through a difficult quarter without complaint.

THANKSgiving leaders express gratitude. They say it out loud. They write the note. They stop in the hallway to acknowledge someone's effort. They recognize that everything they've accomplished has been built on the contributions of others—and they don't take that for granted.

But there is a challenge: gratitude without action can become passive. You can spend a lot of time appreciating what you have without ever doing anything with it. You can thank people for their contributions while never specifically giving anything back.

But there is a challenge: gratitude without action can become passive.

ThanksGIVING is about generosity.

When you emphasize GIVING, you're focused on contribution and service. You're asking: What can I offer? What do others need that I have the capacity to provide? How can I use my position, resources, or experience to make someone else's path easier?

ThanksGIVING leaders are generous. They share credit. They create opportunities for others. They mentor. They protect their team from unnecessary bureaucracy and stress. They advocate for someone's opportunity even when it means giving up some of our own. They give time, attention, wisdom, access—not because they have to, but because they can.

But there is a challenge here, too: if you're always giving without pausing to recognize what you've received, you burn out. You become resentful. You start keeping score. "I've done so much for everyone else, and what have I gotten back?"

But there is a challenge here, too: if you're always giving without pausing to recognize what you've received, you burn out.

The most effective leaders I've worked with don't choose between THANKSgiving and thanksGIVING. They do both. It’s not either/or, it’s both/and.

It’s not either/or, it’s both/and.

They practice gratitude for what they've received—the opportunities, the people who took a chance on them, the team that shows up every day, the circumstances that allowed them to be in a position of influence.

And with that gratitude, they give generously—mentoring the next generation, creating space for people to grow, using their privilege and position to open doors for others, contributing their experience and wisdom without needing to be the hero of every story.

One flows from the other. You can't give sustainably without gratitude. And gratitude without giving can slip into being self-absorbed.

Which syllable have you been emphasizing?

This Thanksgiving, try this:

Write down three things you're genuinely grateful for in your leadership role. Not the polished, LinkedIn version—the real stuff. Maybe it's the CFO who always has your back in difficult board meetings. Maybe it's the opportunity to lead in the first place. Maybe it's the team member who's more competent than you in their domain and makes you look good.

Then ask: What's one way I can give something meaningful to each of these people or situations? Not a generic thank-you. An actual contribution. Time. Advocacy. An opportunity. A difficult conversation that would help them grow. Access to something they don't have.

The magic isn't in choosing between gratitude and generosity. It's in letting one fuel the other.

Think of it this way: Gratitude is what fills you; generosity is what fulfills you.

Gratitude is what fills you; generosity is what fulfills you.

You got this.

Happy Thanksgiving.

However you say it.