Henley Leadership Group Blog

Being an appreciative leader is not about giving compliments, gift cards or trophies. It’s not about recognition, rewards, kudos or “atta boys.” While these are certainly actions that can boost morale and egos, they are superficial. They’re the easy way out.

Often, we think of failure as personal: “I am a failure.” But when you feel like you are failing at work, it doesn’t mean you are a failure.

Work is a place where we spend a great deal of our time and talent every day. And through the exchanges and situations we face there, each of us has an opportunity to grow ourselves up — to become more mature, more resilient, and wiser — but only if you consciously engage in your personal and professional development at work.

The steaming cups of coffee sitting on the table attested to the earliness of the hour. My business partner and I, along with a key leader on our team, were on a work retreat that was meant to advance our thinking, strategy and processes. Instead, we had unconsciously opened our laptops and were responding to emails.