{"id":5386,"date":"2025-02-21T11:55:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T16:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/?p=5386"},"modified":"2025-07-21T12:03:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T16:03:03","slug":"the-leadership-power-of-recognition-are-you-using-it-effectively","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2025\/02\/21\/the-leadership-power-of-recognition-are-you-using-it-effectively\/","title":{"rendered":"The Leadership Power of Recognition: Are You Using It Effectively?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This month, I want to explore a fundamental yet often overlooked aspect of leadership:&nbsp;<strong>recognition and its impact on motivation and team dynamics<\/strong>. Inspired by Eric Berne\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>Transactional Analysis<\/strong>, the concept of&nbsp;<strong>recognition strokes<\/strong>&nbsp;helps us understand how the way we acknowledge or critique others influences engagement, trust, and leadership development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-duotone-unset-1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Leadership-Tools-Slides.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" data-attachment-id=\"5390\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2025\/02\/21\/the-leadership-power-of-recognition-are-you-using-it-effectively\/leadership-tools-slides\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Leadership-Tools-Slides.png?fit=960%2C540&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"960,540\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Leadership Tools Slides\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Leadership-Tools-Slides.png?fit=960%2C540&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Leadership-Tools-Slides.png?resize=960%2C540&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Leadership-Tools-Slides.png?w=960&amp;ssl=1 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Leadership-Tools-Slides.png?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Leadership-Tools-Slides.png?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Four Types of Recognition Strokes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Positive &amp; Unconditional<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 Appreciation for the person as they are.<br>\u200b<em>Example: \u201cI appreciate you.\u201d \u201cI enjoy working with you.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Positive &amp; Conditional<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 Praise for a specific action or achievement.<br>\u200b<em>Example: \u201cGreat job on this project!\u201d \u201cI admire how you handled that challenge.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Negative &amp; Conditional<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 Constructive feedback directed at an action, not the individual.<br>\u200b<em>Example: \u201cThis approach didn\u2019t work, let\u2019s find a better one.\u201d \u201cI didn\u2019t appreciate how you handled that meeting.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Negative &amp; Unconditional<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 Criticism aimed at the person rather than their behavior.<br>\u200b<em>Example: \u201cYou\u2019re difficult to work with.\u201d \u201cYou never do things right.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How we recognize and challenge others matters<\/strong>. A culture where&nbsp;<strong>positive, constructive recognition is the norm<\/strong>&nbsp;fosters engagement and creates a safe space for leadership to emerge at all levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2024\/07\/27\/redefining-leadership-a-conversation-with-russ-laraway\/\">Redefining Leadership \u2013 A Conversation with Russ Laraway<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I enjoyed welcoming&nbsp;<strong>Russ Laraway<\/strong>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<em>Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership.<\/em>&nbsp;Russ is a distinguished leader with 30 years of experience at Google, Twitter, and Candor Inc. Russ shares key insights from his book,&nbsp;<em>When They Win, You Win<\/em>, offering a fresh, results-driven perspective on leadership and career development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Learnings from Russ Laraway:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>&#x2705;&nbsp;<strong>Leadership Behaviors Drive Success<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Focus on a small set of measurable leadership behaviors that predict engagement and performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#x2705;&nbsp;<strong>The Three Buckets of Leadership:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Direction:<\/strong>&nbsp;Clear goals and expectations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Coaching:<\/strong>&nbsp;Ongoing support and feedback.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Career:<\/strong>&nbsp;Meaningful conversations that align personal and professional growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#x2705;&nbsp;<strong>The Career Conversations Framework:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Life Story Conversation:<\/strong>&nbsp;Uncovering values and pivotal experiences.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Career Vision Statement:<\/strong>&nbsp;Helping employees articulate their dream job.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Career Action Plan:<\/strong>&nbsp;A structured roadmap to achieve career goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#x2705;&nbsp;<strong>Retention and Work-Life Balance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Employees stay where they feel valued. Investing in their careers fosters trust and reduces turnover.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prioritization is key\u2014subtracting non-essential work creates a sustainable work-life balance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaders who&nbsp;<strong>actively shape career paths and acknowledge growth<\/strong>&nbsp;create organizations where&nbsp;<strong>people thrive, innovate, and stay engaged<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What This Means for You as a Leader<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are you intentional about&nbsp;<strong>how<\/strong>&nbsp;you recognize and challenge your team?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can you integrate&nbsp;<strong>career conversations<\/strong>&nbsp;into your leadership approach?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What shifts could you make to&nbsp;<strong>lead through recognition and conscious development<\/strong>?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s continue this conversation\u2014share your thoughts and experiences, and let\u2019s work towards building leadership environments where&nbsp;<strong>people feel seen, valued, and empowered to grow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This month, I want to explore a fundamental yet often overlooked aspect of leadership:&nbsp;recognition and its impact on motivation and team dynamics. Inspired by Eric Berne\u2019s&nbsp;Transactional Analysis, the concept of&nbsp;recognition strokes&nbsp;helps us understand how the way we acknowledge or critique others influences engagement, trust, and leadership development. The Four Types of Recognition Strokes How we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/katelyn-perry-JgOK0GG0zNo-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C960&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paNjQG-1oS","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4233,"url":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2023\/10\/28\/the-essence-of-leadership-insights-from-agile-tour-bordeaux\/","url_meta":{"origin":5386,"position":0},"title":"The Essence of Leadership: Insights from Agile Tour Bordeaux","author":"Alexis","date":"October 28, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"At the recent Agile Tour Bordeaux conference, attendees had a unique opportunity on Friday afternoon: a segment dedicated solely to exploring ideas through open space technology. Within this dynamic framework, I had the privilege of conducting a workshop that probed the nature of leadership. The high participation and engagement from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/2023-10-27-16.16.06-scaled-e1698485041542.jpg?fit=1200%2C1012&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/2023-10-27-16.16.06-scaled-e1698485041542.jpg?fit=1200%2C1012&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/2023-10-27-16.16.06-scaled-e1698485041542.jpg?fit=1200%2C1012&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/2023-10-27-16.16.06-scaled-e1698485041542.jpg?fit=1200%2C1012&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/2023-10-27-16.16.06-scaled-e1698485041542.jpg?fit=1200%2C1012&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3405,"url":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2020\/07\/27\/the-motive\/","url_meta":{"origin":5386,"position":1},"title":"The Motive","author":"Alexis","date":"July 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Why so many leaders abdicate their most important responsibilities? The sentence above is the subtitle of The Motive, a book by Patrick Lencioni, the famous author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Advantage. The first part of the book is a business fable. If you read I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/07\/2020-07-27-14.06.00-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/07\/2020-07-27-14.06.00-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/07\/2020-07-27-14.06.00-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/07\/2020-07-27-14.06.00-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/07\/2020-07-27-14.06.00-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/07\/2020-07-27-14.06.00-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4979,"url":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2023\/11\/21\/the-story-behind-pearlside-redefining-leadership-for-a-sustainable-future\/","url_meta":{"origin":5386,"position":2},"title":"The Story Behind &#8220;Pearlside&#8221;: Redefining Leadership for a Sustainable Future","author":"Alexis","date":"November 21, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Pearl Perspective When you hear the word \"sand,\" what comes to mind? For some, it's the tiny grain that can jam the gears of a well-oiled machine. For others, it's the beginning of something beautiful\u2014a pearl. At Pearlside, we choose to see the pearl. Why? Because we believe in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Social_Profile_Mirko-e1700567405717.png?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5433,"url":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2025\/10\/06\/leadership-is-contagious-heres-how-to-spread-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":5386,"position":3},"title":"Leadership Is Contagious. Here\u2019s How to Spread It.","author":"Alexis","date":"October 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"We often talk about leadership as if it\u2019s a role, something that begins when you\u2019re promoted or when your title changes. But the truth is,\u00a0leadership is a collective capacity, not a position.\u00a0It\u2019s something we build together, moment by moment, through how we show up, communicate, and make decisions. This month,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/getty-images-t_oMnT8ZxHQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/getty-images-t_oMnT8ZxHQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/getty-images-t_oMnT8ZxHQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/getty-images-t_oMnT8ZxHQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/getty-images-t_oMnT8ZxHQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2912,"url":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2019\/06\/21\/celbrating-the-audiobook-with-michael-reid\/","url_meta":{"origin":5386,"position":4},"title":"Making Change from the Inside: Leadership Beyond Management Roles","author":"Alexis","date":"June 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In today\u2019s episode, we celebrated with Michael Reid, the narrator, the availability of the audiobook edition of Changing Your Team From The Inside.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Le Podcast&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Le Podcast","link":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/Audiobook.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/Audiobook.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/Audiobook.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/Audiobook.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/Audiobook.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3240,"url":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2020\/03\/06\/changing-your-team-with-john-poelstra\/","url_meta":{"origin":5386,"position":5},"title":"Changing Your Team from the Inside: A Practitioner\u2019s View on Leadership","author":"Alexis","date":"March 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Changing a team is often associated with authority, plans, or Changing a team is often imagined as a top-down initiative. A new structure. A new process. A new framework. But in practice, some of the most meaningful change starts much closer to the work, through everyday leadership choices. 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