Dan

One day when Dan Povenmire was in 11th grade, his class was asked to share their dreams of things they wanted to do after high school.

When Dan’s turn came up, he said that he wanted to go to California and make movies.

A classmate started laughing at that idea.

The teacher, Mr. Mitchell, raised his voice and said, “Hey, what’s wrong with you? I think Povenmire is funny, don’t you?? If there’s anyone in this class who can do that, it’s Povenmire.”

It was the first time Dan remembered an adult, other than his parents, expressing belief in his ability to make a living doing something creative.

Dan did end up going to California and worked on various shows like The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, and ultimately became the co-creator of the show Phineous and Ferb.

As Dan’s career progressed, he wrote a letter to Mr. Mitchell.??

In the letter, Dan thanked Mr. Mitchell and mentioned the fact that his success may not have been possible if it wasn’t for Mr. Mitchell’s belief in his abilities.??

A little while later, Dan got a call from Mr. Mitchell.

He said to Dan, “I just wanted you to know that you saved my life.”?

Before reading the letter, Mr. Mitchell was overcome with depression and felt like he had never made an impact, which brought him to the lowest point of his entire life.

It was at that point when Dan’s letter arrived.

Leaders are often told about the power of recognition.? Unfortunately, many shy away from it because they think recognition is only impactful if it’s big and grandiose.

The power of a simple “thank you” can be enough to help someone recover from a difficult situation, a challenging day, or even emotions like the ones Mr. Mitchell struggled with.

Offer a sincere “thank you” to your team members today.??