Welcome to our Thanksgiving episode of Success Your Own Way! In this episode we take a journey into the power of gratitude—what it truly means, why it matters, and how it can transform our lives.
You’ll hear us reflect on the joys and challenges of the past year. Personal stories and moments of thankfulness—from everyday experiences like taking a child to the movies, to life-changing journeys toward parenthood will be shared. We revisit moments from the season, highlighting what our guests are most grateful for: family, friends, mentors, resilience through hardship, and the opportunity to give back.
Our guests open up about navigating adversity, practicing self-advocacy, and the importance of both receiving and giving support. Along the way, we offer practical tips to help you weave gratitude into your daily life—whether it’s through journaling, mindful reflection, or simple acts of kindness. As the holiday season begins, join us in celebrating the ordinary and extraordinary moments that make life meaningful.
Thanksgiving Reflections: The Power of Gratitude
We’re deeply grateful for our guests, our listeners, and the community we’ve built together. Tune in for this inspiring conversation. It will leave you feeling connected, uplifted, and ready to find gratitude in every day.
There is life beyond the bargains. As the world rushes into Black Friday with urgency and noise, leaders have a unique opportunity to step back and ask: What are we really chasing? The day after Thanksgiving often marks a cultural shift—from gratitude to consumption, from connection to competition. But it doesn’t have to.
For leaders committed to legacy, impact, and values-based living, Black Friday is a powerful moment to reclaim what matters: rest, reflection, and reciprocity.
Rest as Resistance
In a culture that glorifies hustle, rest is a radical act. It’s not laziness—it’s leadership. When you choose to pause, you model sustainability, self-respect, and trust in your team.
Block off time for deep rest, not just surface-level breaks.
Encourage your team to unplug without guilt.
Resist the pressure to fill every moment with productivity.
Rest is where renewal begins. It’s where clarity emerges. And it’s where leaders reconnect with their purpose.
Reflection Over Reaction
Black Friday thrives on urgency. But leadership thrives on reflection. Use this day to look inward:
What did you learn this year?
What values did you uphold—and where did you drift?
What legacy are you building, one decision at a time?
Invite your team into this process. Host a “Lessons Learned” circle or share a personal reflection that models vulnerability and growth.
Reciprocity Instead of Consumption
While the world chases deals, leaders can choose to give differently. Reciprocity isn’t about transactions—it’s about mutual uplift.
Write a note of appreciation to someone who shaped your year.
Offer mentorship to an emerging leader.
Share resources, wisdom, or time with someone who needs it.
This kind of giving builds trust, culture, and community. It’s the kind of leadership that lasts.
A New Kind of Black Friday
Imagine if Black Friday became a day where you looked beyond the bargains and instead made it a day of intentional leadership—a pause between gratitude and goal-setting. A day to rest, reflect, and give back. You don’t need a campaign or a hashtag. You just need to choose differently.
Because the most powerful leaders aren’t the ones who chase the loudest trends. They’re the ones who listen deeply, act intentionally, and lead with heart. So today, skip the frenzy. Reclaim the moment. And let your leadership be the gift. Reach out if you want to talk more about taking that necessary pause.
Gratitude as a leadership practice in the workplace is far more than a fleeting “thank you” scribbled on a sticky note or tacked onto the end of an email. For leaders, genuine gratitude is a powerful tool that shapes culture, boosts morale, and helps teams navigate the inevitable storms of high-stress seasons. When leaders weave appreciation into the very fabric of their leadership style, it becomes a steadying force that can sustain and energize teams through the toughest challenges.
Why Gratitude Matters in Leadership
Research consistently shows that when employees feel genuinely valued, they are more engaged, resilient, and productive. Gratitude helps build trust, fosters psychological safety, and encourages open communication – all essentials when workloads spike, deadlines loom, or uncertainty shakes the status quo. Yet, expressing gratitude requires intention. It’s not just about saying “thanks”; it’s about creating a culture where appreciation is visible, specific, and woven into daily interactions.
Practical Ways to Embed Gratitude Into Team Culture
Model Authentic Recognition
Leaders set the tone. Express gratitude openly and sincerely, highlighting specific actions or attitudes rather than offering generic praise. For example, instead of “Great job,” try “I appreciate the extra effort you put in to help us meet last week’s deadline. Your dedication made a real difference.”
Make Gratitude a Habit, Not a Highlight
Build moments of appreciation into regular routines. Start meetings with a round of shoutouts, end project reviews by acknowledging contributions, or dedicate a few minutes each week for team members to recognize each other. Consistency is key; over time, these rituals become part of your team’s DNA.
Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition
Gratitude shouldn’t flow only from the top down. Create opportunities for team members to celebrate one another. This could be as simple as a shared digital “kudos” board or a rotating “gratitude champion” who highlights others’ efforts. When appreciation is mutual, it strengthens connections and reinforces a supportive environment.
Personalize Your Approach
Not everyone values recognition in the same way. Some may appreciate public acknowledgment, while others prefer a quiet word of thanks. Take time to learn what feels meaningful to each team member and tailor your gestures accordingly. This attention to individual preferences amplifies the impact of your gratitude.
Link Gratitude to Values and Purpose
Connect appreciation to the team’s bigger mission. Recognizing how someone’s actions align with organizational values or contribute to shared goals elevates gratitude beyond the transactional – it becomes transformational. During stressful times, this reminds everyone of the “why” behind the work.
Gratitude Under Pressure: Navigating High-Stress Seasons
When stress is high, appreciation can easily fall by the wayside. Yet, this is precisely when gratitude is most needed. Leaders can:
Check in more frequently with team members, asking not just about progress but about how they’re feeling.
Publicly acknowledge the extra effort, flexibility, or creativity being shown in response to challenges.
Celebrate small wins and incremental progress, not just final results.
Recognize emotional labor – the unseen work of supporting one another or maintaining a positive attitude under pressure.
A Sustained Commitment
Gratitude as a leadership practice is not a one-time action or a perfunctory gesture. It is a sustained commitment to seeing, valuing, and acknowledging the humanity and hard work of your team – especially when the going gets tough. By embedding authentic appreciation into daily practices, leaders can foster a resilient culture where people feel empowered, connected, and ready to face challenges together. Reach out if you want to learn more about how to make gratitude a part of your leadership shadow.
It is the season of harvesting, not just crops, but harvesting wisdom. This article is my 50th and this isn’t just a creative milestone—it’s a harvest. Each piece represents a seed planted in service of others: a thought offered, a question posed, a perspective shared. Over time, those seeds have grown into a field of insight—some tall and sturdy, others still taking root. Together, they form a living archive of value, cultivated through consistency, clarity, and care.
As a coach, I write to support others, build trust, and sharpen my own thinking. Each article is a chance to teach, to guide, and to offer perspective. And like any good harvest, the yield reveals patterns: which topics resonate, which frameworks support transformation, and which questions spark meaningful reflection. Writing has become a feedback loop—the more I share, the more I learn about what people need.
Consistency: Tending the Field
One of the most powerful lessons from writing fifty articles is the importance of consistency. Not every piece has been groundbreaking (perhaps none of them have been), but each one contributes to a larger body of work. That steady rhythm builds credibility. It shows commitment to the process, not just the outcome. And it reinforces core messages. Repetition isn’t redundancy—it’s reinforcement. Like tending a field, showing up regularly yields results over time.
Clarity: Cultivating Understanding
Another key insight is the value of clarity. Writing has challenged me to distill complex ideas into accessible language. It’s pushed me to move beyond jargon and speak directly to my readers. In coaching, transformation often begins with a shift in understanding. Clear writing becomes a tool for clear thinking—and clear thinking leads to empowered action. Clarity is the sunlight that helps ideas grow.
Contribution: Sharing the Harvest
Perhaps most importantly, writing fifty articles has helped me become a better guide. It’s not about showcasing expertise—it’s about offering support. Each article is a touchpoint, a moment of connection, a chance to help someone see their situation differently. Whether I’m writing about leadership, reinvention, or seasonal reflection, these pieces serve as a compass for others navigating change. Sharing the harvest means offering nourishment—not just knowledge.
Your Impact
So if you’re considering a writing commitment—whether it’s five articles or fifty—know that the impact goes far beyond the page. You’re not just creating content, you’re cultivating wisdom – building clarity, consistency, and connection. You’re planting seeds that may bloom in someone else’s life, long after the words are read.
And that, in the end, is what coaching is all about: tending to growth, harvesting insight, and sharing what you’ve learned in service of others. Reach out if you want to chat more about how coaching can be a catalyst for growth.
In this episode of SuccessYourOwnWay, “Success, Self-Leadership, and the Power of Choice”, executive coach and leadership advisor Sadie Wackett shares her journey of redefining success. With 20+ years in global HR leadership, a former CHRO, and as co-founder of Life Intended, Sadie empowers women through self-leadership and intentional living.
She reflects on her career and personal challenges—including body dysmorphia, infertility, and resilience—and how these shaped her values and purpose. Sadie now defines success through agency, connection, and alignment between inner truth and outer life.
She shares pivotal choices like moving to the U.S., continuing fertility treatment, and starting a women’s circle during COVID, which sparked her current work.
Common themes that have emerged from women across her circles include feeling stuck despite “having it all,” the need for recognition, and guilt around trying to find some sense of balance.
Sadie offers practical advice: pause autopilot, make conscious choices, filter what you consume, and lead from within. Her story is a powerful reminder to live with intention and redefine success on your own terms.
Success, Self-Leadership, and the Power of Choice
About Sadie
Sadie Wackett is an Executive Coach, Consultant, and former Chief People Officer with over two decades of global experience in strategic HR leadership, organizational transformation, and values-driven performance. She partners with leaders to unlock the full potential of people and culture as drivers of value, purpose, and impact. Having operated across Europe, North America, and Asia, Sadie brings a global, human-centered lens to leadership and culture.
Her approach is rooted in the belief that sustainable business performance arises from developing regulated and resilient leadership, deep self-awareness, organizational clarity, and activating a commitment to people. As an ICF-accredited Executive Coach, Sadie specializes in self-leadership, mindset development, and emotionally intelligent performance. She helps leaders expand their awareness, elevate their capacity, and lead systemic change that aligns with purpose and values. Her coaching is both pragmatic and transformational, blending strategic thinking with deep listening and personal insight.
As co-founder of Life Intended, Sadie now leads a women’s self-leadership movement that supports women in reclaiming clarity, confidence, and agency. She facilitates coaching and community experiences that guide women through life transitions and into their most purposeful leadership.
Sadie holds a Master’s in Human Resource Management from Westminster University (London), an Advanced HR Executive Diploma from Michigan Ross School of Business, and is a certified practitioner in leadership assessment tools, including the Leadership Circle Profile™ and DISC. She is a counter-voice to the hustle culture and has been a frequent keynote speaker, panelist, and podcast guest on topics including Self Leadership, Resilience, Performance, and Growth.
How are you navigating the fog? As the calendar inches toward its final pages, many leaders find themselves in a peculiar emotional fog. The year’s momentum slows, yet expectations remain high. Revisiting goals, evaluating performance, and the pressure to “finish strong” collides with fatigue, ambiguity, and the quiet whisper of “what’s next?” This season also offers a powerful opportunity to embrace—not resist—uncertainty.
A Space to Inhabit
Uncertainty is often framed as a problem to solve. But what if it’s a space to inhabit? November invites us into liminal territory: not quite the end, not yet the beginning. It’s a threshold month, rich with reflection and ripe for recalibration. The leaves fall, the light shifts, and nature models what it means to release control and trust the unseen.
In coaching conversations, this time of year is ideal for exploring questions that don’t demand immediate answers. Instead of pushing for clarity, we can guide toward curiosity. What patterns are emerging? Where are you feeling misaligned? Who or is calling for attention? These questions don’t resolve uncertainty—they deepen it. And that’s the point.
Reframing Uncertainty
Leaders, especially, benefit from reframing uncertainty as a leadership skill. The ability to hold space for ambiguity, to make decisions without full information, and to communicate with grounded optimism is what sets resilient leaders apart. Coaches can help clients build this muscle by encouraging reflection over reaction. When the instinct is to sprint toward resolution, we can invite pause.
Fog Doesn’t Mean We Are Lost
One powerful metaphor for this season is the fog itself. Fog doesn’t mean we’re lost—it means we’re being asked to slow down. Visibility is limited, but movement is still possible. In fact, fog demands presence. It quiets the noise and sharpens our attention. Coaching in the fog means helping clients tune into their inner compass rather than external metrics. It’s a time to ask: What do I know to be true, even if the path ahead isn’t clear?
Practically, this might look like revisiting values, redefining success, or even renegotiating goals. It might mean celebrating progress that wasn’t on the original roadmap. It could mean naming grief, disappointment, or fatigue—and honoring those emotions as valid companions in the journey.
A Time for Reflection
As we approach the year’s end, uncertainty isn’t a detour—it’s the terrain. And like any terrain, it can be navigated with intention, grace, and a willingness to be surprised. Coaches are uniquely positioned to walk alongside others in this season, not with flashlights that promise clarity, but with lanterns that offer warmth, presence, and just enough light for the next step.
So let the fog settle. Let the questions linger. Let November be a month of listening—deeply, patiently, and without urgency. Because sometimes, the most powerful transformation begins not with knowing, but with not knowing. And in that space, possibility quietly blooms. Reach out if you want support in reflecting on the past to move more successfully into the future.
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