Time for a guided visualization exercise: How to lead with gratitude. Because gratitude isn’t just a feeling. It’s a leadership practice. It’s the difference between rushing through the day… and actually noticing the people who make the work possible. Between managing tasks… and leading humans.

This episode is an invitation to pause, reset your perspective, and reconnect with gratitude as a steady, grounding force in your leadership.

Not forced positivity.
Not ignoring challenges.
But choosing to lead with appreciation, awareness, and intention—even when things feel hard.

So, how does it work? Simple! Let my voice be a guide for you as you focus inward to help you tap into your inner wisdom and Intuition for answers.

Listen and participate in this guided visualization exercise: How to lead with gratitude.

Before we get started, here are a few things that you’ll need to do in order to get the most out of this.

1. Create a safe space - no distractions or interruptions

First off, you’ll need to create a safe space where you won’t be distracted or interrupted… and also, keep in mind that during this exercise, you’ll have your eyes closed. So yeah, probably not best to do this one while driving.

Silence your phone notifications… The world can wait for the next few minutes.

Then, get comfortable in a seated position or lying down, if that feels better. You get to decide. As with all visualization and breathing exercises we do together this year, you always get to decide what is best for you… take what you need and release the rest.

Okay, now close your eyes or avert your gaze to the ground.

2. Take 3 intentional breaths together with me

Let’s take three intentional, life-affirming breaths.

• Deep breath in through the nose, expand the belly, hold at the top, and then slowly release through the mouth. (Do this three times.)

Now, let your breathing come back to a normal pace, whatever feels right for you.

3. Do a body scan and feel your feet

It’s time to do a body scan…  Imagine you’re slowly scanning your body from the top of your head… down past your shoulders…Through your arms… to your fingertips… All the way down your torso, hips, legs, and toes.

Notice any sensations — maybe tightness, softness, warmth, heaviness.
No judgment.
Nothing to fix.

Just noticing.

Once you’re at your feet, really take notice of what it feels like to have your feet make contact with the ground. To be firmly rooted down, the safety and security of that sensation. What do your feet feel like right now?

4. Time to visualize - How to lead with gratitude.

Okay now, keep your eyes closed. I want you to imagine you’re standing just outside your workplace.
Not rushing in.
Not behind schedule.

Just pausing. From this vantage point, you can see the bigger picture.

Take a moment to reflect on the people you lead. Picture your team—one by one. You don’t need to analyze or evaluate. Just notice.

Notice the effort they bring.
The skills they contribute.
The ways they show up, even when things aren’t perfect.

Breathe.

Now, gently shift your attention to one person on your team.

Someone who’s been steady.
Someone who’s tried and given it their all.
Someone whose effort may have gone unnoticed.

Let a sense of appreciation rise naturally.

No pressure.
No forcing.

Just a quiet acknowledgment:
“I see you.”

Breathe.

Now, expand that feeling.

Think of the small moments that make your leadership possible.

A colleague who follows through.
A meeting that goes well.
A problem that didn’t escalate.
Support you received—seen or unseen.

Gratitude doesn’t require everything to be easy.
It simply asks you to notice what’s already working.

Breathe.

Now, imagine stepping into a leadership moment—

A team meeting.
A one-on-one.
A crucial decision point.

But this time, you enter the moment carrying gratitude with you. Not as words yet… but as energy.

Notice how this shifts your posture.
Your tone.
Your patience.

You listen more fully.
You respond instead of react.
You create space.

Gratitude grounds you.
It steadies you. It reminds you that leadership is relational, not transactional.

Breathe.

Now, imagine expressing that gratitude.

It doesn’t have to be grand.

A sincere thank you.
A moment of recognition.
A pause to acknowledge effort.

Notice how the other person responds.

They soften.
They feel seen.
They lean in.

Gratitude builds trust.
It deepens respect.
It creates momentum.

Breathe.

Now turn that gratitude inward.

Take a moment to acknowledge yourself.

The responsibility you carry.
The care you bring.
The ways you continue to show up.

Leading with gratitude also means recognizing your own humanity.

You don’t have to get everything right.
You just have to stay present.

Let this feeling settle.

This is the kind of leadership that lasts.
The kind people remember.

Take one slow, grounding breath.
And when you’re ready… gently open your eyes.

--------------

So, how did that feel? What came up for you?

I want you to set a 7-minute timer, grab a pen and paper, and take this time to write down everything you remember from this visualization exercise.

• Who stood out most in this visualization?
• Where did gratitude feel natural—or surprising?
• How does gratitude change the way you see your role as a leader?
• And what’s one small thing you can do today (with courage and simplicity) to take action on this vision, in real life?

Answer as many of these questions as you like… or just focus on one. Whatever brings you the clarity you desire right now, you get to decide.

One final whisper

Gratitude doesn’t make you soft.
It makes you grounded.

It doesn’t lower standards.
It strengthens relationships.

When you lead with gratitude, you remind people (and yourself) why the work matters and how it makes a positive impact on others.

You’re allowed to slow down.
You’re allowed to notice the good.
You’re allowed to lead from appreciation, not pressure.

You’re doing meaningful work.
And it shows.

I hope this visualization sticks with you the entire week through. Do it again and again if you need clarity or fresh ideas to help your spirit feel refreshed once again… because when you tap into your deep inner knowing, you’re accessing the deep inner wisdom.

That electric energy that can be found inside all of us that connects us all together. It knows. You know. We all know if we are brave and we open ourselves to it.

You can do this, I believe in you.

It’s time to SIMPLIFY.

If this thought of the day inspired you...

Don’t forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button (in your podcast player) to get more of this awesome goodness coming to you each and every week.

As always, please reach out, especially if you’ve got specific ideas or questions that you’d like us to cover on the podcast. DM me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesimplifiers) and let’s spark a conversation.

Thank you!

Show credits: Suzen Marie, our Podcast Editor and Jeffrey Lynn, our Video Editor. Plus, Aubri Williams, Chris Justice, and George Mills, our advisory board. And I’m your host, Mary Baird. Big love to Dennis Coleman, Kristen Kurtis, plus Mark and the team at Goodboy, as well as the folks in #TeamMary. Thank you so much for listening and telling your peeps about us.

As always friends, keep things simple.