Catch People Doing Things Right

Cathie Leimbach • October 9, 2018

Effective leaders have a heart for helping their followers succeed. They truly care about the people on their team. They believe that all staff members are essential to achievement of the organization’s goals. However, many employees do not feel cared about. This hurts business productivity and the employees’ workplace engagement, personal health, and quality of life.

Let’s consider some facts about the human element at work:

  • The #1 contributor to employee job satisfaction is feeling valued and appreciated at work.
  • One of Pat Lencioni’s 3 Signs of a Miserable Job is feeling anonymous, invisible, or generic.
  • 83% of employees report that they do NOT feel valued or appreciated at work.
  • 65% of employees have left a job to get away from a toxic boss.

We can help others feel visible and appreciated at work by letting them know they are doing some things right. This requires that we:

  1. Pay attention to what our staff are doing.
  2. Notice what they are doing right.
  3. Communicate to them sincerely, clearly, and specifically what they are doing right.

During a new employee’s first day on the job, you can hopefully praise them for being on time, or early, for being appropriately dressed, and for promptly and legibly completing the new hire documents. Of course, you aren’t going to announce these expected things over the PA system, but let your new hires know you noticed and value their positive actions. “Thank you for arriving on time. We value the habit of being ready to start work at 8:00.” Or, “Thank you for bringing all the information you needed to complete the new hire process. We like to get new employee files completed on your first day.”

With experienced employees, you can praise them for a positive attitude, for getting the McGill project report sent out two days before it was due, or for taking time to help Bob fix the formula problem with the analysis spreadsheet.

Every staff member must be doing something right. If you can honestly say that some staff are not doing anything right, why are they on your payroll? If they were a right hire, train them; if not, dismiss them. Everyone worth paying deserves to be regularly caught doing some things right and hearing about it so they know they are noticed and valued. This creates a win/win for the individual’s quality of life and the organization’s bottom line.

The Futility of Leadership Perfection

By Cathie Leimbach • May 26, 2026
Many leaders quietly carry the pressure that they are supposed to have every answer. Be decisive. Stay strong. Never show uncertainty. Keep pushing forward no matter what. The problem is that approach often creates distance inside organizations instead of trust. In The Imperfect CEO , which was released on May 19, Jim Brown challenges the idea that leadership effectiveness comes from appearing flawless. Instead, he makes the case that healthy organizations are built by leaders willing to lead with clarity, humility, accountability, and honesty. Larry Siff, CEO of Neptune Advisors and C-Level Community, shared this perspective: “In The Imperfect CEO , Jim Brown doesn’t shy away from the messy reality of being a real person in charge, yet he shows how that honesty becomes a source of organizational health.” Edna Lopez, former Senior Executive at Gateway and Amway, wrote: “In every organization I've led, one truth has been constant: culture determines whether strategy ever sees daylight. The Imperfect CEO gets to the heart of that reality.” That connection between leadership and culture is exactly why the ideas in this book matter. In Conversational Management, we often see organizations struggle , not because leaders lack intelligence or effort, but because communication patterns quietly create confusion, defensiveness, disengagement, or fear. The healthiest organizations usually are not led by leaders who are aiming for perfection. They are led by leaders who know perfection is elusive. They acknowledge their limitations and the benefits of team collaboration. They humbly create honest conversations, clear expectations, accountability, and trust — even when it feels uncomfortable.  The wait is over for a down-to-earth book that dares to reveal common leadership imperfections and provides support for enhancing leadership impact! The Imperfect CEO is now available!

The Leadership Problem Most Companies Don’t Address

By Cathie Leimbach • May 19, 2026
Many organizations assume their biggest challenges are rapidly changing technology, customer retention, and employee initiative. But quite often, the root cause is people leadership problems. That’s one reason The Imperfect CEO by Jim Brown is so timely. Releasing today, May 19, the book explores how leaders build healthier organizations not by pretending to have all the answers, but by creating cultures grounded in trust, clarity, accountability, and meaningful conversations. Brian Besanceney, Chair, Board of Orlando Health, Inc., described the book this way: “Through vivid stories, real-world examples, and a model grounded in collaborative culture, Jim Brown gives leaders permission to wrestle honestly with the generational divides, misaligned targets, and cultural fractures that can too often sabotage high-potential organizations.” Greg Apple, CEO of Amgine.ai, connected the book to leadership beyond business alone: “In a fast-moving company, culture is everything. Jim Brown’s principles have helped our team lead with greater clarity and alignment. The Imperfect CEO distills those lessons brilliantly. Every leader should read it.” What stands out to me is how closely this book aligns with the principles behind Conversational Management. Healthy cultures are rarely built through policies alone. They are built through the quality of everyday leadership conversations — how expectations are clarified, how accountability is handled, how feedback is delivered, and how trust is strengthened over time. That’s why leadership development cannot stay theoretical. Culture changes conversation by conversation.  The Imperfect CEO is an easy-to-read business fable that illustrates common people leadership challenges and provides suggestions for overcoming them. Order your copy today and start building healthier leadership conversations inside your organization.