Most Leaders Think They’re Good at GRATITUDE—They’re Wrong | Adrian Gostick

Most leaders believe they’re good at showing appreciation. The data says otherwise. In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with bestselling author and leadership expert Adrian Gostick to unpack the gratitude gap—the massive disconnect between how appreciated leaders think their employees feel and how employees actually experience recognition. Drawing from his books Leading with Gratitude, All In, and Anxiety at Work, Adrian shares why employee recognition, empathy, and workplace communication are some of the most overlooked drivers of engagement, trust, and performance. Together, they explore how fear-based management quietly damages workplace culture, why workplace anxiety is rising, and what leaders can do right now to create environments where people feel seen, valued, and inspired to contribute their best. If you want to become a better leader, build stronger teams, and close the gratitude gap, this conversation will change how you think about recognition forever. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: ✔ Why most leaders overestimate how appreciated their people feel ✔ How the gratitude gap impacts employee engagement ✔ The difference between praising effort and rewarding results ✔ How empathy became a leadership requirement ✔ How to reduce workplace anxiety through communication ✔ Why people perform best when they feel seen and valued Time stamps 0:00 Introduction to Adrian Gostick 2:25 The Pat Story: Recognition After 30 Years 6:42 Fear-Based Leadership and Its Hidden Damage 10:37 Why Great Leaders Know Their People’s Stories 14:10 Situational Leadership vs One-Size-Fits-All 16:54 Understanding the Gratitude Gap 21:27 Why Leaders Often Miss What Matters Most 27:31 The Three Words That Changed a CEO’s Leadership 30:00 Praising Effort vs Rewarding Results 32:50 Giving People Permission to Lead 37:14 Managing Workplace Anxiety in Uncertain Times 41:21 How Leaders Can Reduce Stress Without Removing Challenge 45:39 Practical Steps to Close the Gratitude Gap The Passion Struck Podcast is HERE!! 💥 https://passionstruck.com/passion-str... Listen, follow, and rate wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts OR watch here on YouTube. New episodes drop every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday! --- --► Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast.... --► Subscribe to Passion Struck Clips:    / @passionstruckclips   *Join The Ignited Life Community at: https://www.theignitedlife.net/ Trac ID: 1256612 Monetization ID: CZSPWP70BFU5OJVR Want to watch more in-depth interviews with some of the world’s most insightful people? Find full episodes here:    / johnrmiles  . Connect with John R. Miles: Learn more about John: https://johnrmiles.com/ Visit the Passion Struck Podcast: https://passionstruck.com/passion-str... Visit the John R. Miles BLOG: https://johnrmiles.com/blog/ Follow John on TWITTER:   / john_rmiles   Follow John on INSTAGRAM:   / john_r_miles   Like John on FACEBOOK:   / johnrmiles.c0m   #passionstruck #johnrmiles #intentionalliving