Gratitude is not a holiday tradition. It is a leadership discipline in this week's episode of The Mentor and The Mentee Blueprint, Anthony E. Tuggle &Mohamed Bayo-Velasco and I discussed why so many leaders wait until December to acknowledge their teams.And why that approach fails.The secret to building a strong organization is not strategy. It is not technology. It is not even talent.

It is acknowledgment.When people feel seen, they stay. When people feel valued, they perform. When people feel recognized, they become invested in something bigger than themselves.But acknowledgment cannot be seasonal. Your team does not wait until the holidays to show up for you. Why would you wait until the holidays to show up for them?

The best leaders I have coached treat recognition like a daily practice, not an annual event.

Mohamed challenged me with a perspective that stuck: The next generation is not asking for more praise. They are asking for more presence.The holidays are a reminder. But leadership is a daily practice.