Leadership Charisma suggests many new and insightful ways to lead people in ways that get them more engaged with their work. This month however we highlight one of those behaviors that most people know is essential to good leadership – recognizing the actions of those who work for you. But do you know why it works?
There is one key reason that charismatic leaders get such great results from
something as simple as making a point of recognizing when their people do a good job – and it is all to do with chemistry. Our amazing brain chemistry plays a large part in the effectiveness of recognition. When you give one of your people praise or recognition – and the higher the level of recognition the better – it triggers a release of the ‘feel good’ chemical Dopamine into their brains, increasing their sense of pride, wellbeing and pleasure.
Providing recognition primes your people's brains to understand that repeating the behavior that triggered the recognition will result in even more praise, which in turn results in further pleasure enhancing doses of Dopamine into their brains.
For the charismatic leader one of the most powerful ways of activating the ‘charismatic equation’, and making people feel good about their work and organization, is simply providing recognition in a genuine and authentic manner.
