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WOMEN USING GRATITUDE TO POWER GROWTH AND INNOVATION

  • Dec 30, 2025
  • 4 min read

By Yanina Ageeva

The last thing anyone in Russia expects from a leader is gratitude.


Leadership there is traditionally associated with strength, strategy, and control — and Russian leadership means all of that multiplied by ten.


Fortunately, I had not only Russian but also extensive international experience, so from the very beginning of my career I built my leadership on different principles: responsibility, awareness, honesty, and gratitude.


For me, real strength lies in the ability to remain grateful in crisis — and to thank people for mistakes and “lessons.”


Although, I’ll admit, learning to thank instead of punish for failures took time — especially when the price of error was high.


In 2022, I emigrated from Russia and started rebuilding my life from scratch. At that moment, I was deceived by scammers. I invested a large sum of money, and as you can imagine, when you trust the wrong people with your finances — you lose them.


At first, I was furious — at myself and at the world. Those were almost all my savings.


But then I remembered my principles.


When everything collapses, gratitude becomes the anchor. It restores the ability to see opportunities instead of threats.


Eventually, I thanked life — and even the scammers — for the lesson and for the new chapter ahead.


I decided to count the stolen money as payment for an intensive personal growth program with local cultural immersion — Premium edition, as well as an investment into my brighter future.


And, almost miraculously, the world started turning toward me again.


I found a job that helped me regain stability and confidence during adaptation. Then came the opportunity to acquire a small startup alongside my main work, followed by more and more doors opening.


I’ve been studying neuroscience for more than eight years and integrating thinking technologies into business systems — both in my own projects and as a consultant.


There was so much accumulated knowledge and experience that I decided to create a project called Project.Beyond.Borders — a platform about human adaptation through the lenses of neuroscience, management, and psychology.


So, as an expert in both neuroscience and business, I can say: leadership driven by gratitude may look like magic from the outside — but in reality, it’s a series of strategic, scientifically sound steps.


Here’s what actually happens in the brain:


Functional MRI studies show that when a person experiences gratitude, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) 


and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) become active.


These regions regulate emotions, moral reasoning, and empathy. Their activation suppresses the amygdala — the brain’s fear center — shifting us from a threat response into a state of trust and cooperation.


That’s why gratitude isn’t just a “pleasant feeling” but a neurobiological marker of safety — it makes us calmer, more open, and more capable of meaningful connection.

[Neural correlates of gratitude – PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4588123/)


Among patients with heart failure, keeping gratitude journals improved prognostic markers such as heart-rate variability (HRV) and inflammation levels.


This shows that gratitude strengthens the parasympathetic response (“rest and restore”) and lowers the body’s sense of threat.


Recent data (2025) demonstrate that groups practicing gratitude exhibit a faster vagal recovery — their nervous systems return to balance more quickly after stress, which means greater physiological resilience. 


These effects are well explained by Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory: the sense of safety is a biological platform on which trust, communication, and learning are built — and gratitude directly activates this system.

 [Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety – PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9131189/)


Systematic studies show that corporate gratitude practices — for example, 21-day recognition programs — significantly reduce stress and professional burnout among healthcare workers, with effects lasting for months.


The Templeton Foundation white paper “The Science of Gratitude” (2018) summarizes a decade of research showing that gratitude not only improves well-being but also reshapes behavior — making people more resilient, generous, and socially engaged.


That’s why companies with cultures of appreciation demonstrate steadier growth, fewer conflicts, and higher innovation potential — gratitude reduces tension and amplifies trust.


How to Embed Gratitude in Daily Team Life

 Recognition rituals: create a space — chat, meeting, or board — where team members share what they’re grateful for about each other.

Start meetings with gratitude, not reports.

 Feedback formula: begin with “Thank you for…”


This isn’t just emotion — it’s a management practice. And, believe me, teams quickly follow the leader’s example.


Women leaders tend to lead differently: not through pressure, but through acknowledgment — of themselves, their teams, and their path.


We’re changing the very logic of success — from struggle to contribution.


Gratitude isn’t about softness; it’s about the conscious energy of creation.


When a leader leads with gratitude, the world becomes safer for innovation and growth.


Connect With Yanina


 “Achievement journal”: record even small wins.

 
 
 

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