This afternoon, to my pleasant surprise, Suman appreciated me on LinkedIn for being an “Inspirational Leader”. You made my day, thanks, Suman.

Suman is a special guy. He’s what we call a people leader. Mind you, Suman is not a people pleaser. He takes genuine efforts to understand the people around him and appreciate the excellence they bring to the table. He’s a greatness detective.

I don’t say this lightly. We all leave Digital footprints, and sustained behaviour shows character. Suman’s LinkedIn activity page tells the story best.

A cursory look at his page shows he’s been recognising excellence in others continuously. His notes are personally crafted with custom badges and hashtags. A global leader has earned his appreciation for delivering an excellent presentation. A technical leader who’s displayed emulation-worthy behaviour, a mentor, four team members (each with customised hashtags!) have all been noticed and appreciated. A former colleague has been called out for his creative solutions. The appreciation is universal (it covers everyone – colleagues, seniors, teams, peers), global and unconditional. This is how recognition and gratitude ought to be.

Nice guys don’t always finish last. In the Digital Economy, trust and reputation are our most relevant currencies; and life is a marathon, not a sprint. And in this race, Suman and his ilk are the winners.