TL;DR:

When managers single out individuals for praise, they undermine team cohesion and create unsustainable hero cultures. True leadership acknowledges collective effort while still recognizing individual contributions in balanced, thoughtful ways.

Have you ever watched a manager praise a "star performer" during a team meeting while everyone else sits awkwardly silent? Or sending an email to the group and thanking only one person?

I saw it happen last month.

A VP singled out one engineer for "saving" a project that had actually required round-the-clock work from eight people. In that moment, seven contributors became invisible. The lone "hero" looked uncomfortable, and a week later, two team members requested transfers.

This scenario plays out constantly in organizations, and it's doing more damage than most leaders realize.

The Psychology Behind Individual Recognition

When a manager singles out one person for public praise, they're not just recognizing good work—they're sending powerful implied messages to the entire team:

• "This person's contribution was valuable; yours wasn't as important."
• "Individual heroics matter more than sustainable teamwork."
• "We celebrate visible last-minute efforts over consistent daily work."

The research backs this up. Studies on psychological safety show that unbalanced recognition creates what researchers call "contribution asymmetry"—the perception that some team members' work is valued more than others (Edmondson & Lei, 2014).

The Three Hidden Costs of the "Hero Culture"

The damage from over-relying on individual recognition goes deeper than hurt feelings:

1. It creates organizational dependencies

When we consistently elevate the same people as "heroes," we create single points of failure. I've seen entire departments that couldn't function when their "star" was on vacation. That's not a team—it's a hostage situation.

2. It discourages collaboration

Why share knowledge or support colleagues when only individual achievements get celebrated? Recognition that focuses solely on individuals incentivizes hoarding information and opportunities.

3. It leads to burnout

Heroes get burned out. Period. The employee consistently praised for "saving the day" feels immense pressure to maintain their hero status. Meanwhile, unrecognized team members lose motivation and engagement.

Reframing Recognition for Team Success

The solution isn't eliminating recognition—it's reframing how we deliver it:

Balance individual and team acknowledgment

When acknowledging individual contributions, always connect them to the broader team effort:

"Sarah's analysis was crucial, and it built upon the foundation Michael created, which then allowed the development team to implement the solution ahead of schedule."

Recognize the invisible work.

Some of the most valuable contributions are the least visible. The person who prevented problems, documented processes, or mentored others often goes unrecognized.

Make a point to highlight these contributions: "I want to acknowledge Joe's work in creating documentation that made this project possible for everyone."

Create regular, inclusive recognition rituals.

Rather than sporadic hero celebrations, establish consistent ways to recognize various contributions. This might be "appreciation rounds" in team meetings where everyone shares something they appreciate about another team member's contribution.

What Great Leaders Do Differently

The best leaders I've worked with approach recognition systematically:

1. They track contributions throughout projects, not just at the end
2. They ask team members to highlight each other's contributions
3. They acknowledge both outcomes and processes
4. They celebrate collective wins first, individual contributions second
5. They recognize effort and growth, not just achievement

In one organization I worked with, the CIO instituted a simple but powerful practice. Whenever someone sent an email praising his team, he would forward it with a note highlighting how various team members contributed to the success.

This small action reinforced that success was a collective achievement while still acknowledging individual efforts.

The Burnout Connection

Hero cultures are burnout factories. The "heroes" burn out from constant pressure to perform, while the unrecognized team members burn out from feeling undervalued and invisible.

When we spread recognition more evenly and acknowledge team efforts, we create psychological safety that prevents burnout by letting people know their everyday work matters, not just heroic rescues.

Make This Work For You

If you're a leader:

• Before giving recognition, ask: "Who else contributed to this success that I might not be seeing?"
• Create team-first celebration rituals before highlighting individual contributions
• Track and acknowledge different types of contributions, not just the most visible ones

If you're a team member:

• When praised individually, graciously redirect to highlight team contributions
• Create peer recognition opportunities where you can highlight colleagues' work
• Document collective successes to make the team's shared accomplishments visible

The truth is, no significant achievement in modern organizations happens in isolation. By recognizing this reality in how we express gratitude, we build stronger, more resilient teams where everyone can thrive.

Until next week!

—Oliver

Dr. Oliver Degnan

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