We See and Hear You

By James Rector, Publisher
Profiles in Leadership Journal

Why Recognition Matters Now More Than Ever

Tariffs rise. Budgets tighten. Headcounts shrink. For many companies today, the economic drumbeat is one of restraint, and the instinct is to pull back, preserve cash, and pause initiatives that don’t clearly drive the bottom line.

Recognition programs, like leadership awards, may seem like easy expenses to postpone. Who has time for applause when there’s belt-tightening underway?

But here’s the paradox of leadership: it matters more when times are hard.

The individuals who steady the team during uncertainty, who spark morale when others retreat, who keep customers and colleagues aligned amid chaos, they’re your invisible asset. The good they do is real. And recognition shines a light on that good.

In this current climate, honoring leadership is not fluff, it’s strategy. It costs far less than recruiting replacements, far less than recovering lost engagement, and far less than rebuilding culture once it’s gone quiet.

When you publicly honor a leader, you tell your people:

“We see you. We value you. We’re not too busy or too afraid to say so.”

Even a single nomination, shared in a publication, featured on LinkedIn, acknowledged at an internal meeting, can change the arc of a leader’s journey. It tells them they’re not invisible.

So yes, we understand your budget stress. We see the shifting terrain. But we also see the long view: that recognition is not a luxury. It’s a statement.

And right now, the strongest leaders, yours and ours, need that statement to be made.