88: Leaders With Heart Recognize The Smallest Of Changes In The People They Lead

Subscribe to the Leadership with Heart Podcast:

In this episode, Heather speaks about milestones, recognition, and moving past barriers that can make it difficult for leaders to be the best they can be. Heather also shares a couple personal stories on the milestones of her children last week, how she recognized them, and her past fumble related to it.

Key takeaways:

• Pay attention to the greatness inside your people or they will go somewhere with people who will.
• Don’t see obstacles in your way to being the best leader as permanent. They too shall pass.
• Employee recognition helps them feel seen. Be the gift bearer of that type of positivity.

 This episode sure is a gem. Don’t miss it!

Recent Milestones

This week, three of my children reached significant milestones. My son was promoted to a higher rank and the civil air patrol prepared a pinning ceremony to appreciate his efforts. We attended with our youngest who was beaming with pride for his brother. 

The next day, my eldest son and daughter were promoted in their Taekwondo ranks, considering they only started months ago. Also, my daughter recently got her driver’s license. To celebrate her win, we had a family dinner and gave her a card of appreciation with money as a gift. All of us signed the card, telling her how much we’re proud of her. 

The recognitions to their milestones are well deserved. More importantly, we make it a habit to recognize our people.

Appreciating Efforts

When our people at home or at the workplace achieve milestones regardless of the size,  we want to make sure that we are recognizing them for their effort. We’re letting them know they are noticed. 

Many of us feel like we’re all alone in the world. There’s so many people who are depressed, anxious and lonely. But when we show appreciation for our people, they will know that they are important in your life. You want to be that gift bearer of recognition, so they’ll know you regard even the tiniest of their milestones. 

I wrote an article about this tree in my front yard. Two years after moving in, I barely knew it was a plum tree. Then, I met a neighbor about to move out and said that he just loved the plum tree in front of my house. 

I had no clue it was a plum tree, partly because I am not a green thumb. Also, I just never noticed any plums in the tree. He told me he would collected the plums that fell down, and he would make jam from it. I was a little bit irritated hearing that. Years after, I kept trying to look for plums in my tree but I only tasted its sweetness once. 

Remember to look for the greatness inside the people we lead because if we aren’t, others will find them. Our people will go to where their greatness is recognized and appreciated. They will go to where they are rewarded and awarded for what they do and bring at the table. 

Don’t be like me, who entirely never noticed the plums in my tree for years. Instead, be like my neighbor. Go grab the plums that are over there. Grab the greatness you see inside of your people. Make sure that when you do that, you put it to good use. Folks who doesn’t notice that the organization they are in would allow them to grow, will seek for more fertile grounds.

Recognizing Obstacles

We positively recognize milestones. But there also obstacles and challenges that prevents us from becoming the best leader. It goes in our way of appreciating the “plums” inside our workforce. 

Yes, there are obstacles and challenges in our way, but those too shall pass. Look at them as temporary things that could pause you to be the best and the greatest leader you can be. 

Look for the plums in front of you. Grab them and leverage every piece of greatness inside of the people looking upon you for leadership. Bypass the challenges and obstacles that are in your way. It’s okay to pause, but know that they’re not permanent. 

Mentions

Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcast

Listen to the podcast on Spotify