With ByteDance and JD Technology as the research objects, the grounded theory research method is used to build a double mediation model of leadership gratitude expression and employees’ followership behavior. The findings show that leadership gratitude expression can be divided into two dimensions: language gratitude expression and behavioral gratitude expression. Language gratitude expression includes employee value perception, psychological support, and team achievement sharing, while behavioral gratitude expression includes measuring work performance, feedback on work results, and material rewards; Leadership gratitude expression positively promotes employee following behavior, leadership trust, and employee self-efficacy; Leadership trust and employee self-efficacy positively promote employee following behavior, and both mediate the relationship between leader gratitude expression and employee following behavior.