Notice and reward
Monday morning. Your inbox is overflowing. Deadlines loom. Amidst the chaos, do you see it?
Sarah stayed late to perfect that presentation. Alex found a cost-saving solution no one else spotted. The team pulled together to meet an impossible deadline.
These moments. They're everywhere. Quiet triumphs. Small victories. The very fabric of your organization's success.
But here's the real question: Do you notice? And when you do, what happens next?
In the rush of leadership, it's easy to focus solely on problems. On what's broken. What needs fixing. But this problem-centric view is only half the picture.
The other half? It's noticing what's going right. And not just noticing, but acknowledging. Rewarding.
This isn't about grand gestures or flashy bonuses. It's about the power of your attention. Your words. Your recognition.
A simple "I saw what you did there. Well done." can fuel motivation for weeks. A thoughtful email acknowledging extra effort can transform a good employee into a great one. A moment in a team meeting to highlight innovative thinking can spark a culture of creativity.
Notice the effort, not just the outcome. Reward the process, not just the result. Acknowledge the teamwork, not just the individual star.
As you cultivate this habit, you'll find it's not just your team that changes. You'll change too. You'll start seeing opportunities where before you only saw challenges. Potential where you once saw limitations.
This is the hidden leverage of leadership. The power to shape reality by choosing what you focus on and what you reinforce.
So, as you navigate your day, ask yourself: What am I noticing? What am I rewarding? And what possibilities might open up if I expand my vision to catch more of the good that's already happening around me?
Your next great leadership breakthrough might not be in what you do, but in what you notice – and what you do next.