Overview
We all want our work to matter—and to feel seen, valued, and appreciated. Unfortunately, that’s not the norm. Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace Report found that 69% of employees are not engaged—a 7% increase over the previous year—which hurts morale, performance, and your bottom line.
But what if the secret to higher engagement, stronger collaboration, and better business results was something simple, easy to implement, and low cost?
That’s the power of Recognition-First Leadership—a transformative approach that helps people feel acknowledged and inspired to do their best work every day.
Recognition isn’t just a bonus at the end of the quarter. It’s a daily leadership habit that starts by looking for what’s going right and shining a light on it.
In this energizing keynote, Shira Miller reveals how Recognition-First Leaders activate the remarkable in others—and themselves. Whether you lead a team of two or 20,000, or you’re an individual contributor seeking to elevate your impact, you’ll walk away with tools to boost morale, spark innovation, and fuel a more purpose-driven culture. Backed by real-world examples from Shira’s experience as a C-suite leader, this keynote is a roadmap to becoming the kind of leader people want to follow.
Participants will learn:
- Why recognition is one of the most underutilized and effective leadership tools
- The 7 essential behaviors of Recognition-First Leaders—and how to practice them
- How to embed meaningful, specific recognition into your day without adding to your to-do list
- How recognition shapes culture by reinforcing desired behaviors and signaling what matters most
- Simple ways to immediately start practicing Recognition-First Leadership
Benefits to the organization:
- Strengthens employee engagement and satisfaction
- Reinforces desired behaviors and results
- Provides scalable strategies to build a culture of recognition
- Helps teams navigate change and drive culture transformation
- Fosters a more positive, connected workplace
- Develops effective leadership at every level
- Improves retention, morale, and motivation
Benefits to the audience:
- Enhances leadership effectiveness and influence
- Builds deeper connection and trust with teams
- Strengthens loyalty and performance across the organization
- Improves resilience, confidence, and adaptability
- Empowers individuals to activate their full potential
Award-Winning Keynote Speaker, Author, Certified Coach and C-Suite Executive
Featured In
TEDx
AJC
First for Women
Thrive Global
Shape
Authority
Health
Rave Reviews
“I highly recommend Shira as a speaker, coach and motivator. If you have a big group of people, she will be able to bring intimacy, interactivity and innovation to the group faster and better than nearly anyone I've seen.”
“Shira is truly an amazing and inspirational speaker.”
“You will be a rockstar for hiring Shira as your keynote! She checks all the boxes: motivational, educational, humorous, engaging, expert, authentic. She can also lead hands-on workshops for smaller groups – BONUS!”
“I recently attended two of Shira’s leadership talks at Canyon Ranch about women at the top, resilience, and power. It was profound observing the transformations happening around the room. Her message is powerful, enlightened, and yet so practical.”
“Shira was charismatic and simply great to work with! We received positive comments on her session from attendees.”
“Shira was energetic and fun. The entire room left with a handful of tools on how to become more resilient and a healthy dose of positivity.”
“Shira was a featured speaker at an Emory Alumni Association event for rising female leaders, and did a fantastic job energizing our participants. I recommend Shira for any leadership summit or motivational speaking event!”
Five Reasons to Book Shira
You’ll Feel Seen.
Where you are, Shira has been—and she can tell you how to navigate through it and emerge on the other side—triumphant. Getting unstuck is her superpower, and Shira is passionate about teaching people how to do the same for themselves. Over the past few decades, she has transitioned from financial ruin to prosperity, chronic health challenges to a constant state of wellness, obesity to sustaining a healthy weight, divorce to lasting love, and an unfulfilling career to a purpose-driven life.
Blueprint for Action.
A passionate teacher, Shira’s audiences leave with clear next steps towards creating a life and work that you love.
Transformational.
Shira Miller has a rare gift for putting an audience at ease and simultaneously creating engagement and inspiration. She doesn't stop at inspiration alone—that would be the work of merely a "motivational" speaker. Shira is much more than that! She is truly a transformational speaker.
Creates Connection.
You will feel like you are chatting with an old friend. With Shira, you will experience deep insights and new clarity, all while laughing along to her intimately relatable anecdotes. By the end, the entire room will feel like community. She has a natural ability to bring out the best in others and to summon the art of storytelling to bring forth ideas that work.
Personal.
Shira takes the time to learn about your group or organization ahead of time and asks the insightful questions to discover the best way to impact and connect with your audience. With Shira, no two events are ever the same!
Want Shira to Speak?
Interested in having Shira speak at an upcoming event? We’d love to learn more about it. Please complete the information below and we will follow up with you shortly!