Gratitude and generosity may be far more powerful than most people realize. Neuroscience research continues to reveal that intentional giving activates areas of the brain associated with pleasure, empathy, emotional regulation, and decision-making. At the same time, chronic scarcity thinking and hoarding behaviors can keep the nervous system operating in a heightened threat state. In a world filled with stress, uncertainty, and emotional overload, practices like gratitude and generosity may help us think more clearly, lead more effectively, and live with greater purpose. As a former Fortune 100 leader and Leadership Futurist, I have seen firsthand how giving transforms both people and organizational culture.
It is great for your brain to have a generous disposition, and bad for it to have a hoarding mentality. This is important at both the individual and organizational levels. When we decide to support others, such as giving to a charity, recent research reveals that generosity activates the brain’s pleasure, empathy, and decision-making systems. Research by the American Psychological Association (APA) indicates that giving often leads to greater happiness in the giver. The strongest benefits seem to emerge when giving seems intentional.
But that is not why we started giving as a company so many years ago. Being born in a Third World country and then experiencing the amazing benefits this country has to offer changed my perspective on giving as a core value for my business. May is Military Appreciation Month. While I myself did not serve in the military, I worked in the defense industry and later trained government agencies, which provided me with a greater understanding of the cost others paid for me to have these opportunities. So it was an easy decision for me to make when our organization decided to narrow our support down to two specific causes. For decades now, we donate a double-digit percentage of our gross income to charities. Currently, we support organizations that help struggling veterans and their families.
4.6 million veterans are struggling financially, and almost 33,000 experienced homelessness in 2024. According to the VA, 14% of the men and 24% of the women who raised their hands to protect your family and mine are diagnosed with PTSD. Folks, it gets worse. In 2024, the VA reported that our nation experienced an average of 17 suicides per day. That’s why we give.
How Scarcity Thinking Keeps the Brain in Threat Mode
When we hoard our resources, especially time and finances, it can keep the brain in a threat, overload, and rigid-decision-making mode. Eventually, your brain starts to treat your resources as emotionally important, which drives a deeper commitment to selfish tendencies. According to the Mayo Clinic, a chronic scarcity mindset can keep the nervous system on guard.
Why Gratitude and Generosity Build Stronger Leaders and Cultures
So, I want to encourage you to think about the causes you want to support and define what a meaningful commitment would look like to you. Is it volunteering your time every week, or does it look like donating other resources? If you own a business, does it make sense to give from your personal life as well as from your professional endeavors? Giving and gratitude are often linked. Gratitude is not just a nice feeling; it appears to support performance, resilience, and relationships. In one study summarized by Harvard, people who wrote and delivered a gratitude letter showed a large immediate boost in happiness, and employees who heard gratitude from a manager made 50% more calls the following week. That suggests gratitude can affect both mood, action, and organizational outcomes.
From a neuroscience lens (‘cus you know I can’t help myself), gratitude is associated with reward-related brain activity and stress reduction, which may help people stay calmer and think more clearly under pressure. UC San Diego research found that gratitude before a high-stress task led to healthier cardiovascular responses, meaning the body was better prepared to perform. That aligns with the idea that gratitude can support a “challenge response” rather than a “threat response.” And since we live in a high-threat environment today, doesn’t it make sense to prioritize anything that helps our brains lower their threat levels? Sure, it does. Join me and let’s be givers with gratitude.
Your brain was not designed merely to survive. It was designed to connect, contribute, and create meaning. Be generous. Be grateful. Raise the bar. Do it now.
—John F. Edwards, CSP
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