Appreciation is Essential

Cathie Leimbach • October 18, 2022

Human beings are emotional beings. For emotional and mental health, we require affirmation that we are valued as a person.  To be engaged at work, we also need to know that we are valued for the contributions we make to the organization’s success.  Yet, studies show that 40 to 65% of the workforce has not felt appreciated at work in the past year. 

When employees don’t FEEL appreciated and valued at work, they are 5 times as likely to be disengaged, 74% more likely to be looking for another job, and 27% more likely to be struggling in their personal life. The resulting depression and poor workplace productivity lead to lower self-esteem, poorer quality relationships, and declining physical health.

Many leaders think they are showing appreciation, yet their employees aren’t feeling valued. Generally this is because we, as leaders, aren’t being intentional enough in how we recognize our team members.

Effective recognition is not everyone getting a standard gift on their 5th anniversary at the company or being chosen as this week’s recipient of their supervisor’s thank you note through the company’s digital peer-appreciation portal.   Effective appreciation is fulfilling, authentic, equitable, and personalized.

Fulfilling – Appreciation involves feeling. The method of showing appreciation must help the recipient feel valued and fulfilled. Different people value different forms of appreciation differently. Discover which of the following mean the most to each team member and thank them accordingly. Is it words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, gifts, or physical touch?

Authentic – Leaders must truly believe in the recognition they are giving their employees. Through the leader’s body language, tone of voice, and everyday attitude towards employees, team members discern whether their leader is being sincere Only sincere appreciation helps employees feel valued.

Equitable – Everyone deserves frequent and honest appreciation and feedback. It is effective to recognize different people in different ways to suit their preferences.  However, it is not okay to recognize some people daily and ignore others altogether. If you have an employee who truly is not adding any value in the workplace nor exhibiting any positive behaviors, why are they on your payroll?

Personalized – When you are recognizing an individual, be specific about a way they had energy to the team or a recent time they completed an important project very well and on time. Don’t simply point out that their team gets good results. Let them know that you are paying enough attention to them that you see something they are personally contributing.

To lead with excellence, leaders need to be worthy of followers. Showing appreciation to every team member so they Feel valued is an essential aspect of leadership. 

Which of the 4 characteristics of effective appreciation are you already doing well? Which aspect will you focus on improving this week?  

Speaking Up Is Not Defiance. It's Duty.

By Cathie Leimbach • June 23, 2026
Most leaders say they want employees to speak up. They want people who spot risks, question assumptions, and help the organization make better decisions. Yet many employees hesitate to do exactly that. Why? Because leaders often respond to speaking up as if the speaker is complaining, criticizing or resisting. When people fear being viewed as difficult, they stop sharing what they see. The organization loses valuable information, ideas, and perspectives. A recent McKinsey article found that teams with high psychological safety are two to three times more likely to generate breakthrough ideas. When people feel safe speaking up, better thinking follows. The best leaders understand a simple truth: Speaking up is not defiance. It's duty. When employees question assumptions, raise concerns, or offer a different perspective, they are helping the team avoid blind spots and make stronger decisions. That's why effective leaders don't merely tolerate speaking up—they invite it. They ask: What are we not seeing? What assumptions are we making? Who might see this differently? What information are we missing? Just as importantly, they respond with curiosity instead of defensiveness. They thank people for expressing their perspective. They explain how input influenced decisions. They make speaking up safe. Because organizations don't improve when everyone agrees. They improve when people feel responsible for helping the team see what others may have missed. In healthy organizations, speaking up isn't rebellion. It's responsibility. It's duty. Leadership Reflection Think about your last leadership team meeting. Did people simply agree? Or did someone help the team see something it otherwise would have missed? Download 5 Questions That Surface Better Thinking and make speaking up a productive part of how your team thinks, decides, and performs.

Put Your Brain in Gear When Using AI

By Cathie Leimbach • June 16, 2026
Artificial Intelligence is becoming a powerful workplace tool. It can summarize information, analyze data, draft content, and generate ideas in seconds. But there is a growing risk leaders need to recognize: AI can sound convincing even when it is wrong. In an article by Erica Dhawan, she describes a legal case where attorneys used ChatGPT to help prepare a court filing. The brief looked professional, the reasoning seemed logical, and the citations appeared legitimate. There was only one problem: several of the cited cases did not exist. The AI had fabricated them. The danger wasn't carelessness. It was trust. Because the information was presented clearly, confidently, and professionally, nobody stopped to question it. Psychologists call this the "fluency heuristic"—our tendency to assume information is accurate when it is easy to process and sounds credible. As leaders, we cannot allow polished answers to replace critical thinking. When you find yourself thinking, "This is too good to be true," put your brain in gear. Dig deeper. Investigate. Verify the facts. Ask what assumptions were made, what information might be missing, and what evidence supports the conclusion. AI can be an incredible assistant. It should never become a substitute for judgment. The smooth answer is not always the wrong one—but it is often the one that deserves the most scrutiny. Before You Act, Verify. The biggest risk with AI isn't bad information. It's believable information that's wrong. That's why we created the AI Verification Checklist for Leaders —a simple 5-minute tool designed to help leaders challenge assumptions, identify missing information, verify conclusions, and make better decisions before acting on AI-generated recommendations. Download the free AI Verification Checklist for Leaders and start asking better questions before making important decisions.