Put Your People First: The Power of Recognition-First Leadership

When I was growing up, a popular show for young kids called Romper Room was a constant source of disappointment. The perky 1970’s era host would take out a “magic mirror” and start naming all of the kids she could see out there in the viewing audience – like Tommy, Jennifer, Rachel, Margaret or John. But she never said the name Shira. And while I kept watching, hopeful one day I’d be seen, that never came to fruition.

Maybe that’s why I’m so wired to pay attention to people’s names, hopes and accomplishments, and get a subconscious burst of excitement when someone does that for me. The same is true for most of us. We want our work to matter, and to feel recognized and appreciated. Unfortunately, that’s not the norm. Gallup’s 2024 State of the Workforce Report found that 62% of employees are not engaged, which hurts morale and your bottom-line.

But you know what can change that? Practicing recognition-first leadership.

I’m talking about leaders who actively look for what’s going well in the organization and sing the praises of others. Whether you lead a team of two or 20,000, or serve as an individual contributor, you regularly recognize people doing outstanding work and steady performers who can be counted on day in and day out. That behavior can transform your culture and business performance.

When I talked about this with Strategic Talent Advisor and Global Executive Coach Roberta Matuson, she said, “Recognition-first leaders have a tremendous impact.  Small actions that leaders take like stopping someone in the hallway and telling them they did a good job can make a huge difference in terms of employee engagement and retention, which impacts productivity as well as profitability.”

What I’ve seen in my 30-plus years in corporate America is that anyone can learn how to lead with recognition – even if it is not your natural inclination. Doing so is a choice, an active process. You can literally have a checklist to find who is worthy of recognition each week and highlight their contributions in a team meeting as the first order of business.

Here are 4 ways to start practicing recognition-first leadership:

1.        Pay attention.

Sound simple, right? However, as Matuson notes, “We’re so busy in the workplace that we don’t bother to stop to see what’s going on around us and how well the people we have hired are doing – and thank them for it.” So, the first step is to pay attention. Start noticing how people are performing, solving problems and choosing a can-do attitude, and you can find something positive to say about their contributions.

2.        Be specific.

When you start noticing what’s going well, be specific in your praise. For example, don’t just write an email saying “Thanks, you’re doing a great job. We like your dedication.” Instead, list what that person did, and the impact they made, in detail.

Using an example from my job with a $3B supply chain company, an email could read, “Thank you for what you did during the hurricane weather event to keep franchisees informed through constant email updates about their deliveries. Your efforts made a big difference in reassuring members and employees, and we really appreciate you.”

That makes the recognition personal, which is important to show people that you really see them, and that they matter.

3.        Make people feel seen.

Recognition-first leaders intentionally make people feel seen, heard, motivated and valued. One of the best examples I’ve seen of this recently is Marcus Fitts, who is pictured above.

Fitts, a Senior IT Project Manager at a large firm, also teaches cycle and fitness classes at my gym. Yes, he brings high energy, great music and proven knowledge to each workout. But what keeps us coming back for more at 6:00 a.m. is his wonderful habit of looking for what people are doing right and calling them out by name.

When I get a personal shout out, it motivates me to push harder and enjoy the class even more. So, I was curious to learn how he also applied that leadership style in his corporate job.

Fitts told me that he actively acknowledges the contributions of every team member, both individually and as part of the group. Whether it’s recognizing someone’s technical expertise, problem-solving skills, or ability to collaborate under pressure, he celebrates their efforts and how their work contributes to the overall success of the project.

Encouraging peer-to-peer recognition and emphasizing appreciation has also helped him build stronger connections with his teams, boost morale, and create a positive work environment.

“On an instinctive level, I’ve always valued the importance of making people feel seen and appreciated, whether in personal or professional settings. It’s natural for me to want to acknowledge others for their hard work and accomplishments,” explains Fitts.

“At the same time, experience has taught me how impactful recognition can be,” he continues. “Over the years, I’ve realized that when you take the time to highlight someone’s contributions, it not only boosts their morale but also increases their sense of value and purpose. It creates a ripple effect—motivating individuals, strengthening team cohesion, and driving better results.”

4.        Actively seek optimism.

I define optimism as actively looking for the upside, even during challenging circumstances. You believe that things can and will get better in the future. Recognition-first leaders actively seek optimism opportunities in others.

It can be as easy as looking for one good thing to notice; one good thing that happened to or about others. Make it a regular part of team meetings, or weekly huddles, or however you gather in your company, to start by recognizing someone.

What I want to emphasize is that it starts with you. You are modeling those behaviors and leading by example. You’re going to influence others when they see you personally looking for the upside. It signals that this is the desired behavior, the kind of positive culture we are trying to build.

Embracing optimism also impacts employee retention. Matuson says that recognition-first leaders are what she calls magnetic leaders. As the author of The Magnetic Leader, she knows a lot about the topic.

“Magnetism can help people attract top talent that will stick around,” she notes. “Those are the positive people that we really want to be around, and they’re rare. So, when you find a leader like this, you’re not going anywhere because you know what else is out there.”

Every day, look for a way to authentically praise the people you work with. Because we all want to feel like we matter.

How do you display recognition-first leadership? Of everyone you’ve worked with, who has really excelled at making people feel seen, heard, motivated and valued?