Lead with Thanks

Tsvetelina

Welcome to Lead with Thanks, the bite-sized interview series where Thankbox Co-Founder Tsvetelina Hinova chats to leaders who put gratitude at the heart of how they lead. They share stories of their most memorable moments of appreciation, as well as highly practical tools and methods that have worked well throughout their careers. Ready to lead with thanks? Let's get going!

Episodes

  1. MAR 26

    S2 Ep1: "Stop Choosing Between People and Performance" with David Liddle

    In this episode, Tsvetelina Hinova sits down with David Liddle - a leading voice in people, culture, and leadership transformation. With over 25 years of experience, David shares why appreciation is not a “soft” concept, but a critical driver of performance, connection, and meaningful work. They explore why many organisations still struggle to take appreciation seriously -often relying on legacy systems built around control, hierarchy, and metrics - and what needs to shift for businesses to thrive truly. David introduces the idea of “and, not or” leadership - showing that leaders don’t have to choose between empathy and accountability. The most effective organisations are learning to do both. The conversation also dives into real-world transformation.  At organisations like the BBC, traditional grievance processes are being replaced with a “resolution-first” approach, focused on dialogue, trust, and early intervention. Managers are trained in “quality conversations” - building skills like active listening, curiosity, and emotional awareness to resolve issues before they escalate. David also shares examples from his work with organisations such as Aviva and Burberry, where embedding appreciation into leadership and culture has helped shift performance, engagement, and relationships at scale. If you’re rethinking leadership, culture, or how to build a more human workplace, this episode is full of actionable insights to get you started.

    45 min
  2. 12/01/2025

    Episode 5: Marketing, momentum, and meaningful recognition with Vikki Gledhill

    In this episode of Lead With Thanks, Thankbox Co-Founder Tsvetelina Hinova sits down with Vikki Gledhill, a seasoned Reward leader with over 20 years’ experience shaping how organisations recognise, support, and celebrate their people. Now Head of Reward & Pensions at Yorkshire Water  Vikki brings a career’s worth of wisdom from major organisations, including Cox Automotive, Manchester Airport Group, Northern Foods and 2 Sisters Food Group. And yes - she’s as passionate about appreciation as we are. Vikki shares why effective recognition shouldn’t be a once-a-year HR initiative—but an always-on campaign, just like the best marketing efforts. If brands have to stay visible to build emotional resonance, why wouldn’t internal reward programs do the same?  Together, Vikki and Tsvetelina explore: Why reward and recognition work best with continuous promotion, not set-and-forget schemes. How a simple “thank you” can create the kind of emotional reaction that boosts motivation and engagement. Why recognition must align with employees’ personal values - not assumptions.The role of wellbeing, benefits, and total reward in shaping a modern employee experience. Her path across multiple industries and what each taught her about people. Why she believes recognition is a strategic tool, not a “nice to have”.If you're curious how to make recognition feel meaningful (and not just mandatory), Vikki’s insights are pure gold.

    35 min
  3. 10/28/2025

    Episode 3: The human touch and data of appreciation with Matt Phelan

    Matthew Phelan is a co-founder of The Happiness Index, a two-time author on workplace happiness ('Freedom to be happy' and 'The Happiness Index') and podcast host, Matt champions positive organisational cultures.  A sought-after keynote speaker, including TEDx, Matt travels globally, sharing data-driven insights on how culture fuels business success. In this conversation, Tsvetelina and Matt explore the significance of appreciation in the workplace. Matt shares his journey to co-founding the Happiness Index, a tool designed to measure and enhance workplace happiness.  They discuss the profound impact of appreciation on employee well-being, the challenges of overcoming scepticism, and the importance of personalising recognition.  Highlights include: Appreciation is crucial for workplace happiness and engagement.Personal experiences shape our understanding of appreciation.Data can help identify the impact of appreciation on performance.Different individuals respond to appreciation in unique ways e.g. public recognition may not be suitable for everyone.Building relationships and understanding people’s unique preferences is key to effective appreciation.Appreciation should be genuine and not commoditised.If you want to learn more about Matt, you can find him below: The Happiness Index (his company): https://thehappinessindex.com/The Happiness Index Podcast (his podcast): https://thehappinessindex.com/podcasts/Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewphelan/

    26 min

About

Welcome to Lead with Thanks, the bite-sized interview series where Thankbox Co-Founder Tsvetelina Hinova chats to leaders who put gratitude at the heart of how they lead. They share stories of their most memorable moments of appreciation, as well as highly practical tools and methods that have worked well throughout their careers. Ready to lead with thanks? Let's get going!