Article
When people talk about the best leaders they've worked for, they rarely talk about strategy or metrics. They talk about how those leaders made them feel. The strongest teams are built when people feel seen, safe, trusted, encouraged by progress, and connected to a purpose bigger than themselves.
A few years ago, I was talking with some friends about the best leader they had ever worked for. I expected them to talk about results, accomplishments, or maybe a project that had gone particularly well. Instead, they talked about how that leader made them feel. They felt valued. They felt trusted. They felt comfortable speaking up. They felt like their work mattered. Most of all, they felt like someone genuinely cared about them as a person.
That conversation has stayed with me because I've heard similar stories throughout my career. When people look back on their favorite jobs, coaches, teachers, mentors, or leaders, they rarely start by talking about organizational charts, strategy documents, compensation plans, or performance metrics. Those things certainly matter, but they're usually not what people remember most. What people remember is the experience. They remember how they felt when they came to work each day.
I've seen this play out in every company I've worked for. The setting changes, but the lesson remains remarkably consistent. When people are doing their best work, there are a handful of experiences that are almost always present. When those experiences disappear, engagement, enthusiasm, and performance usually begin to disappear as well.
The first is feeling seen.
One of the simplest leadership lessons I've learned is that people want to know they matter. They want to know that someone noticed the effort they put in, the extra time they spent helping a customer, or the way they supported a teammate during a difficult situation. Most people aren't looking for constant praise or recognition. They simply want to know they're not invisible.
I've watched someone's energy change completely because a leader took thirty seconds to acknowledge something specific they had done well. I've also watched talented people slowly disengage because they felt nobody noticed their contributions. It's amazing how powerful a sincere thank you can be when it's specific and genuine. A leader who pays attention sends a powerful message: I see you, and what you do matters.
The second experience is feeling safe.
Every team has challenges. Every organization has problems. The difference is whether people feel comfortable talking about them. Some workplaces unintentionally teach people to remain quiet. Employees learn that bringing up concerns creates tension, admitting mistakes creates problems, and offering an unpopular opinion isn't worth the risk. Eventually, people stop speaking up.
The healthiest teams I've been part of weren't the teams with the fewest problems. They were the teams where people felt safe enough to address problems early. Over the years, I've talked a lot about the idea of being "loving tough." For me, that means caring enough about people to tell the truth while creating an environment where they feel comfortable telling you the truth as well. Connection comes first. Then truth. When people know you're for them, difficult conversations become less threatening and far more productive.
A third experience people need is trust.
Very few things disengage someone faster than feeling like they're constantly being watched, second-guessed, or overruled. Most people want the opportunity to contribute. They want clear expectations and support, but they also want room to think, solve problems, and make decisions. Some of the best ideas I've ever seen came from the people closest to the work, not from the people furthest removed from it.
Trust has a way of bringing out ownership, creativity, and confidence. Of course, trusting people doesn't mean abandoning them. Good leaders still provide direction, remove obstacles, and create accountability. But they also resist the temptation to control everything. When people feel trusted, they often rise to the occasion in ways that surprise even themselves.
People also need to feel progress.
I've seen this in athletics, leadership, and life. People can work through an incredible amount of adversity when they believe they're moving forward. Progress creates hope. Progress creates energy. Progress reminds us that today's effort is making a difference, even if the finish line is still a long way off.
The opposite is equally true. When people can't see progress, discouragement starts to creep in. That's why effective leaders help people recognize forward movement. They celebrate wins, acknowledge growth, and remind people how far they've come. Not because every milestone deserves a celebration, but because human beings need to know their efforts are leading somewhere meaningful.
The final experience is one I believe has become even more important over time: people need to feel that their work matters.
One of the things I love about healthcare is that it naturally connects our work to a larger purpose. Behind every customer interaction, software enhancement, training session, implementation project, and support ticket is a patient, a family, a nurse, or a physician. There is a human being on the receiving end of the work we do.
The challenge is that purpose can become blurry when we're buried in deadlines, meetings, and day-to-day responsibilities. That's where leadership matters. One of our responsibilities is helping people connect the task to the outcome and the effort to the impact. People will certainly work for a paycheck, but they'll often give their best when they understand who they're helping and why it matters.
The longer I lead, the less convinced I am that engagement starts with a program. Recognition programs have value. Surveys have value. Development plans, team events, and communication strategies all have value. But those things work best when they're built on a foundation of human connection.
At the end of the day, people want to feel seen. They want to feel safe. They want to feel trusted. They want to feel progress. And they want to know that what they do matters. When leaders create those experiences consistently, something special happens. Teams become stronger, relationships deepen, performance improves, and work becomes a place where people can thrive rather than simply survive.
And in a world where so many of us spend a significant portion of our lives at work, that feels like a responsibility worth taking seriously.
When you think about the best leader you've ever worked for, what did they do that made you feel valued?
Every team, leader, and organization has room to grow. If you’d like to continue the conversation, let’s connect.
Life gets busy. Sometimes we all need a quick reminder of what matters most. Subscribe to The Next Level Energy Boost and receive positive stories, practical insights, encouragement, and real-life lessons that help you approach work, family, relationships, and life with greater purpose and energy.