What Leaders Do – And You Should If You Wish To Be One

Praise is priceless. You may have heard this. What you may not have heard (and it needs mention): praise in public is both powerful and priceless.

Then, why don’t we see more such posts (like the one above)?

I will come back to this. But first, you should know:

I don’t know Sabitra or Rahul. 

Sabitra is a recent connection on LinkedIn, so his post showed up on my timeline.  Reading it felt like a great start to the day.  How many employers do it, I thought?

“It’s very inexpensive to give a compliment.” – Joyce Meyer

It doesn’t take much for any employer to go public recognising a team member’s contribution. But we still don’t see many such posts.  I will come to WHY shortly, but first, WHAT comes to your mind when you notice the above post? Is it that Rahul has made a deep impact through his contributions and is a valued member of the team?

Well, that too!

But what’s more striking is the impact Sabitra has made not just on Rahul but all those reading this post. If you were Rahul, won’t you be touched by Sabitra’s gesture of posting on LinkedIn? I would be. And if you served in the same industry with a competitor, you’d perhaps consider joining a workplace where the founder recognises a team member this way. Or at least, it would cross your mind.

“People may take a job for more money, but they often leave it for more recognition.” – Dr Bob Nelson

Is this a big deal, or am I making it one?

This isn’t the first time any team member is being acknowledged; you may think.  You’re right. It isn’t.  But this post on LinkedIn is different from mail sent by the company leadership to its employees.  This is a public acknowledgement of your team member’s valued contribution shared on the world’s most popular business and employment-focused social media platform.

This would open Rahul’s chances of being noticed by other employers in the industry. There is no greater validation of credentials than that comes from your existing top boss. No background checks are necessary here for prospective employers looking for a valuable candidate. This post is enough.

I come back to the question I began this post with:

Why don’t we see more such posts?

There’s more than one reason for it. Many employers don’t think much of it. They underestimate its value.  Let’s park that aside and dwell on another factor here. INSECURITY!

Employers can be insecure about losing their valued members. They can still acknowledge and felicitate valued team members in their own workplace. And the purpose would be served. So, why would they risk giving away a key resource to a competitor?

Here’s the deal:

When you post like what Sabitra has, you potentially kill three birds with one stone:

• The recipient of such recognition is delighted to have been acknowledged in public, and inspired to do even better.
• Other team members are encouraged to up their game.
• Professionals working elsewhere in the industry look up to such workplaces and may be tempted to join.

Sabitra’s post reflects his maturity. Not only is he NOT insecure of losing a valued employee, but he also possibly knows the power of praise.

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire

What YOU can learn

If you are a leader, take a leaf from Sabitra’s book. When you recognise your team members and share their valued contribution in public, you get to partake in their excellence. Besides, it’s what most accomplished leaders do.

“Motivating employees to work at their full potential is the main premise of successful management.” – Eraldo Banovac

You will be surprised how far they (employees) can go when they receive such recognition in public. It works like a booster when they’re already doing good work. They see the gains of their effort and are further enthused to up their game. My compliments to Rahul for his stellar contribution. And equally to Sabitra for showing the way to other employers.

If you’re an employer reading this, you can exercise this ‘superpower’ too. Trust me, the reward is greater than the risk.

But here’s what you ought to know:

“You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

So, what are you waiting for? Act now!