Everybody has an inherent need to feel important and to contribute.  Appreciation literally means “to give value to.”  When someone is appreciated their value increases and their sense of engagement escalates.  Gratitude, therefore, is the universal language of connection and rapport that honors the efforts of others.  Leaders know that all successes are possible through the contributions of many and an environment of gratitude accelerates the development of others and ferments a mood of cooperation.  Gratitude is the process of completion, acknowledgement and renewal.  When a job is completed people want to hear from the leader, more than anyone else, that their involvement was appreciated.  When one considers the very best and worst group experiences of their lives it is evident that the presence or absence of gratitude is often the defining element.