Discover the transformative power of appreciation in the workplace through expert-backed strategies that empower leaders to elevate their teams. Unveil the subtle art of recognition, a crucial ingredient in fostering a positive organizational culture. Delve into practical advice from seasoned leaders on how to seamlessly integrate meaningful gestures of appreciation into everyday leadership practices.
- Integrate Thoughtful Actions into Leadership Style
- Recognition Awakens Natural Qualities
- Listen to Understand Team Members
- Balance Public and Private Appreciation
- Connect Recognition with Company Values
Integrate Thoughtful Actions into Leadership Style
A leader can cultivate a culture of recognition and appreciation by integrating consistent, thoughtful actions into their leadership style. Recognition doesn’t have to be extravagant—simple, heartfelt gestures can leave a lasting impact. I recall receiving a handwritten thank-you note from my boss, the Executive Director. Despite her busy schedule, she took the time to acknowledge my contributions personally. This small act made me feel truly valued.
I emphasize actionable strategies leaders can use:
- Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge successes, big and small, to reinforce positive behaviors.
- Tailor Appreciation: Know your team members’ preferences for public or private recognition.
- Encourage Peer Recognition: Create opportunities for team members to celebrate one another.
- Reward Meaningfully: Use thoughtful rewards, such as growth opportunities or flexible schedules.
- Listen Fully: Giving someone your undivided attention demonstrates respect and value.
When leaders prioritize recognition, they build trust, motivation, and engagement, creating a team culture where everyone feels appreciated and inspired to excel.
Dr. Julie Donley
Leadership Coach and Author of “Leading at the Speed of People,” Nurturing Your Success LLC
Recognition Awakens Natural Qualities
Employee recognition is a vital part of any company culture. It is an intrinsic human need and helps employees feel valued. Leaders skilled at giving meaningful and genuine feedback to their managers and employees are revered in the workplace.
Early in my career, a leader recognized me for my empathetic and relevant feedback to trainees on our executive cruises. It was a natural quality that I minimized up until then. I had intentionally honed my communication skills, but having this public recognition awakened it in me in a much bigger way. Although the spotlight made me a little uncomfortable, inwardly, I was doing cartwheels of joy and celebration.
What surprised me afterward was my pride in this quality moving forward. From then on, I went into high gear to develop the art of meaningful feedback due to this singular recognition. It was then that I acknowledged personally and professionally how critical a culture of recognition was. Today, it is a large part of my EQ training in every company I work with.
A culture of appreciation is the high net worth of emotionally intelligent leadership and companies.
Jennifer Williams
Executive Coach & Eq Leadership Trainer, Heartmanity
Listen to Understand Team Members
Cultivating a culture of recognition and appreciation within a team requires understanding that not everyone is motivated the same way. Recognition should be personalized to meet the different needs of each team member, and this starts with listening and getting to know your employees, what drives them, how they like to be recognized, and what makes them feel valued. Some may prefer public acknowledgment, while others might appreciate a more private note. It’s essential to tailor recognition to match individual preferences.
One experience that stands out to me came early in my career when I was leading a sales team that had achieved outstanding results during an economic downturn. We were holding an offsite meeting to set goals for the year. Unexpectedly, my leader made a surprise visit to our meeting to “say hello.”
He didn’t just speak to the team about their achievements—he recognized the collective effort behind the success. The team had overcome significant challenges, and his acknowledgment of their hard work was very appreciated. But what stood out was his recognition of my leadership. He recognized me as a key factor in the team’s success and gifted me a book titled How Women Lead. He mentioned that my leadership reflected the very principles in the book.
That recognition meant a great deal to me. It wasn’t just about the book, but about the fact that my leadership was being acknowledged in a meaningful way. It reinforced that leadership isn’t just about driving results; it’s about empowering and motivating others. My leader’s gesture made me feel valued as both a person and a leader who directly contributed to the team’s success.
This experience taught me a valuable lesson about recognition: it can be a powerful driver of employee engagement and performance when done thoughtfully and authentically. By understanding what motivates each team member, a leader can tailor their recognition, creating a culture where people feel valued and are inspired to give their best.
In my leadership approach, I’ve always emphasized the importance of taking the time to listen to my team and recognize their efforts in a way that resonates with them. It’s not about generic praise, but showing that you understand and appreciate each individual’s unique contributions. When recognition is done right, it creates an environment where employees feel valued, which leads to higher engagement, better performance, and healthy team dynamics.
Mesale Solomon
Founder & CEO, Proverbs Leadership Institute
Balance Public and Private Appreciation
A strong leader fosters recognition and appreciation by ensuring that team members feel valued for their contributions. This not only boosts morale but also enhances engagement, collaboration, and long-term retention. Some of the most effective ways to cultivate this culture include:
- Timely and Specific Recognition – Acknowledging contributions in real-time with specific feedback makes recognition more meaningful.
- Public and Private Appreciation – Leaders should balance public recognition (team meetings, Slack shoutouts, all-hands) with private acknowledgments (one-on-ones, personalized messages) based on individual preferences.
- Celebrating Team Wins – Whether it’s project milestones, SEV resolutions, or innovation breakthroughs, taking time to reflect on achievements strengthens team cohesion.
- Encouraging Peer Recognition – Establishing a culture where team members recognize each other (e.g., shoutout channels, kudos boards) creates a more inclusive and uplifting work environment.
- Aligning Recognition with Career Growth – Beyond immediate appreciation, great leaders tie recognition to opportunities for career advancement, promotions, and leadership opportunities.
At Dropbox, I experienced great leadership that emphasized meaningful recognition. One example was after leading a complex SEV resolution and a major infrastructure improvement initiative. My manager took the time to:
- Publicly acknowledge my efforts in a team-wide forum, highlighting the technical depth and impact of my work.
- Privately express appreciation in a one-on-one, recognizing the long hours and strategic decisions that went into the solution.
- Tie my contributions to long-term impact, reinforcing how my work influenced team-wide best practices and product reliability.
This experience reinforced that genuine recognition isn’t just about praise—it’s about making employees feel seen, valued, and connected to the bigger mission.
Great leaders understand that recognition fuels motivation and team performance. By celebrating individual contributions and team achievements in a meaningful way, they create a culture where employees feel empowered, engaged, and driven to excel.
Alok Ranjan
Software Engineering Manager, Dropbox Inc
Connect Recognition with Company Values
Our organization purposefully connects recognition practices with our company values and strategic objectives. Our primary goals include delivering customer satisfaction, fostering innovation, and utilizing data-driven decision-making. We make it a point to publicly acknowledge team members who demonstrate exceptional effort in these areas.
Our customer support team received recognition for one member’s creative solution to a difficult customer problem. The recognition awarded to her exceptional service acts as a celebration and confirms that customer-centricity remains a fundamental value. Demonstrating how each team member’s work contributes to our mission enables us to build a team united by purpose and shared accomplishments.
We extend our appreciation beyond basic thanks by demonstrating how individual contributions drive company success. We share customer accolades for a team member’s performance and demonstrate how an employee-driven data-focused strategy resulted in improved conversion rates. The method recognizes employee contributions while simultaneously inspiring peers through visible evidence of success created by their diligent efforts.
James Wilkinson
CEO, Balance One Supplements
