Recognition is not simply about celebrating accomplishments; it is about honoring the courage it took to get there.

Over more than 20 years in clinical research, I have learned that while science drives clinical trials, it is people who truly move them forward. Yet long before I entered the field and worked alongside patients, physicians, nurses and clinical research teams, I learned something important from my parents.

Like many children, I wanted to make them proud. Whenever I accomplished something, even something small, they noticed. A good grade. Helping someone. Trying my best. Their words were simple: “Good job.” “We are proud of you.”

Even as a young adult, I remember setting the table for dinner and hearing my mother tell me how beautifully I had done it. It was such a simple thing — setting a table — but she noticed. Looking back, I realize those small moments mattered just as much as the bigger ones. My parents were giving me much more than praise. They were giving me confidence. They were teaching me that effort matters, that kindness matters, and that people flourish when they feel seen.

As I grew older, I found myself carrying those lessons into my own relationships. With friends and colleagues, I learned that a few sincere words of appreciation can have a lasting impact.

Decades later, those same lessons still guide me — not only as a professional, but as a mother.  Today, I find myself passing those lessons on to my daughter. I make a conscious effort to tell her when I am proud of her — not only when she achieves something significant, but when she demonstrates kindness, resilience, integrity or simply does her best. I want her to understand that success is not measured only by outcomes. It is also measured by effort, character and the courage to keep going.

Recently, she reminded me just how powerful that can be.

During the second week of school, she had a test she was particularly worried about. After the summer, she was concerned that she might have forgotten some of what she had learned. She studied, worked hard and ultimately received a very good grade.

When I picked her up from school, I surprised her with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

The flowers were not really about the grade. I wanted to recognize everything that came before it — the worry she worked through, her preparation, her determination and the effort she put into doing her best. I wanted her to look at those flowers and remember not simply that she had done well, but that her hard work had been seen.

We often underestimate the power of a simple “thank you” or “I appreciate YOU.” Yet those words can reinforce confidence, strengthen relationships and remind people that their efforts matter.

Recognition in Practice

Over the years, I have witnessed this lesson repeat itself in some of the most meaningful places imaginable. I have seen it in clinical research, and I have seen it in some of the most difficult moments of people’s lives. One of the most meaningful traditions in many cancer centers is the ringing of a bell after a patient completes treatment.

To someone walking by, it may seem like a simple gesture. To those who understand the journey, it means much more. That bell is not simply about finishing treatment. It is about recognition.

Recognition of the patient who showed up appointment after appointment despite fear, uncertainty, exhaustion and discomfort.

Recognition of the family members who sat beside their loved ones for countless hours, offering encouragement, comfort and strength.

Recognition of the nurses who cared for them, answered questions and guided them through difficult days.

Recognition of the physicians, pharmacists, research coordinators, clinical research nurses and healthcare professionals whose work often takes place quietly behind the scenes.

For a brief moment, that bell acknowledges something deeply human: the courage it took to get there.

And perhaps that is what connects the bell, a bouquet of flowers, a parent’s words of encouragement and a simple “thank YOU” in the workplace. The gestures themselves are different, but the message behind them is the same: I see you. I see your effort. What you did mattered.

Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working alongside remarkable teams. Doctors. Nurses. Pharmacists. Study coordinators. Clinical research professionals. Individuals whose names may never appear in headlines, but whose contributions make a profound difference in the lives of patients.

I have watched study coordinators stay late to ensure every detail was documented correctly.

I have watched nurses advocate fiercely for patients while balancing responsibilities most people never see. I have watched teams overcome obstacles, solve problems and continue moving forward because they understood that patients were depending on them.

And I have learned that sometimes the smallest acts of recognition have the greatest impact.

I experienced that personally not long ago. On a professional milestone, I received a thoughtful note from an execute leader acknowledging my contributions. It was a simple gesture, but those few words stayed with me. They made me feel seen and appreciated. They strengthened my confidence and reminded me that my work mattered.

Perhaps most importantly, they made me want to give even more.

That experience reminded me that recognition is not only something we give to others. No matter how experienced we become, how long we have been in our profession or what position we hold, we all benefit from knowing that our efforts matter.

In clinical research, in parenting and in life, we spend so much time focusing on what still needs to be done that we sometimes forget to acknowledge what has already been accomplished. Yet people remember those moments. They remember who encouraged them. They remember who noticed their effort. They remember who made them feel seen.

I saw it in my parents when they celebrated small victories that seemed insignificant at the time but stayed with me for decades. I see it today in my daughter. I see it in patients facing difficult journeys, in families standing beside loved ones, and in the healthcare professionals who show up every day to care for others.

And I see it in the workplace, where a few sincere words from a colleague or leader can sometimes mean far more than the person saying them realizes.

Building a Culture of Recognition

For organizations, that matters.

Recognition should not be viewed simply as something “nice” to do. When people feel seen and valued, recognition can strengthen confidence and morale. It can deepen engagement and reinforce a sense of purpose and belonging. When people know that their contributions matter, they are often more motivated to contribute, collaborate, grow and perform at their best.

That is how individual moments of recognition can become something much larger.

A sincere acknowledgment from a leader can strengthen one person’s confidence. That confidence can influence how they approach their work, how they support their colleagues and how willing they are to take on the next challenge. Over time, those individual moments can contribute to more engaged teams, greater productivity, stronger performance and a culture in which people want to give their best.

Organizations do not necessarily need elaborate recognition programs to begin creating that culture. Recognition can happen in everyday moments.

“Thank you.”

“Job well done.”

“I appreciate YOU.”

Or perhaps the words many of us first learned to value as children: “I’m proud of you.”

Those words may take only seconds to say, but their impact can last much longer.

My parents taught me that without ever calling it leadership. I try to teach it to my daughter today. I have witnessed it in patients ringing a bell after an extraordinarily difficult journey. And I have experienced it myself when someone took a few moments to let me know that my contribution mattered.

A bell. A bouquet of flowers. A note from a leader. A few sincere words.

None of these gestures needs to be grand to be meaningful. What matters is the message behind them: YOU were seen. YOUR effort mattered.

Organizations have the opportunity to create those moments every day. When recognition becomes part of the culture — when people know that their effort, resilience and contributions are genuinely and sincerely seen — we do more than make people feel good in the moment. We can strengthen morale, inspire greater engagement and give people another reason to continue growing, contributing and performing at their best.

Perhaps that is why recognition stays with us far longer than we realize. Recognition is not simply about celebrating accomplishments; it is about honoring the courage it took to get there. And sometimes, by recognizing that courage, we help create the courage for whatever comes next.