139. Physician Leaders Say Thank You Like This to Double Your Impact

The Four Ways to Say Thank You—and the One That Doubles Your Impact

Introduction

As a physician leader, you already know that gratitude is critical to your team's culture, camaraderie, and performance. But did you know there are four different ways to say thank you, and if you choose the right one, you can double its impact on engagement and productivity?

In this episode, I’ll walk you through all four methods—and reveal the one that acts like a leadership superpower. Ready? Let’s get started.

The Power of Gratitude in Leadership

Hello again, Dr. Dike Drummond here, from The Happy MD in beautiful Seattle, Washington. Thank you for your time and energy in joining this episode of the Stop Physician Burnout Podcast.

Gratitude is one of the core leadership skills. Leadership is like baseball—whether you’re in Little League or the World Series, the game only has four basic skills:

1. Throw the ball

2. Catch the ball

3. Hit the ball

4. Run

Leadership, too, has just a few fundamental skills—and gratitude is one of them.

As a leader, gratitude most often takes the form of congratulations—a simple thank you. But the way you deliver that thank you makes all the difference.

Skill vs. Effort: Which Thank You Is More Effective?

For years in my leadership courses, I’ve asked physician leaders:

What’s more effective?

1. Thanking someone for their skill ("Hey, thanks, you’re really good at that.")

2. Thanking someone for their effort ("Hey, thanks for your hard work, we really appreciate it.")

Which do you think has the bigger impact?

It turns out that thanking someone for effort is more powerful than thanking them for skill.

Why?

• When you thank someone for skill, you’re just acknowledging they’re better at something than you.

• When you thank someone for effort, you acknowledge the work they put in—no matter how talented they are.

A better Level 1 "thank you" would be:

"Thanks for your hard work on the project yesterday, Cheryl. We really appreciate it."

Key takeaway: Always be specific about what you’re thanking someone for. A generic, repetitive "thanks, everyone, for your hard work" loses its meaning over time.

Recognition vs. Appreciation: The Real Game-Changer

I recently watched a TED Talk by Mike Robbins called The Power of Appreciation. In it, he explains a critical distinction between two forms of gratitude:

1. Recognition (Transactional Gratitude)

• Focuses on what someone has done

• Conditional—based on achievements, milestones, or outcomes

• Structured—often comes with awards, bonuses, or public recognition

• Feels transactional

Example:

"Sally, thanks for your great work on [specific project]."

2. Appreciation (Transformational Gratitude)

• Focuses on who someone is

• Unconditional—not tied to specific results

• Frequent and personal—can be informal and spontaneous

• Builds deeper relationships

Example:

"Sally, I just want to say—I really appreciate the positive energy you always bring to the team. It’s awesome. Keep it up."

Which One Works Better?

Mike Robbins cites research from the Haas Business School at UC Berkeley, which studied the effects of recognition and appreciation on productivity and effectiveness.

Here’s what they found:

• Recognition increased productivity by 23%

• Appreciation increased productivity by 43%

Appreciation is nearly twice as powerful as recognition.

How to Shift from Recognition to Appreciation

If I followed you around at work and listened to you say thank you, I’d hope to hear a lot of gratitude—because any thank you is better than silence.

But if we categorized your thank yous, how many would be recognition vs. appreciation?

To help you shift towards appreciation, here are 20 examples of appreciation statements. Just breathe, listen, and imagine how it would feel if someone said these to you at work:

1. "I really appreciate the way you always bring such positive energy to the team. It’s awesome. Keep it up."

2. "Your dedication and hard work do not go unnoticed. I’m so grateful to have you on this team."

3. "I value your unique perspective, even when it challenges the status quo. It makes us better."

4. "Your kindness and support always make a huge difference in the way we work together."

5. "I appreciate how you take the time to help others. You make this a better place to work."

6. "The way you handled that situation with patience and professionalism was inspiring."

7. "I admire your ability to stay calm and focused, even in stressful moments."

8. "Thank you for always being so reliable. I know I can count on you."

9. "You bring a level of creativity that makes our work better every day."

10. "I appreciate your willingness to go the extra mile—not because you have to, but because you care."

Are you getting the drift? Appreciation is about the person, not just the work they do.

Your Leadership Assignment

Your leadership challenge is to 10x your thank-yous to your people.

• Get out of the office and engage with your team.

• Recognize accomplishments.

• But most importantly, appreciate people for who they are.

Gratitude is a superpower—use it early and often.

Final Thoughts

Throw the ball. Catch the ball. Hit the ball. Run.

Leadership has just a few essential skills, and gratitude is one of them.

If you want to double your leadership impact, make appreciation your default setting.

Thank you for your time and attention—I know it’s your most precious resource.

Until next time, keep breathing and have a great rest of your day.