High fives pay high dividends.

Many leaders treat celebration like a dessert. Something you do after the real work is done. That’s backwards.

If you only recognize people at the finish line, you’re training your team to feel ignored for 90% of the journey. And then you act surprised when energy drops, people lose motivation, and work grinds to a halt.

I’m not talking about clapping because someone showed up. I’m not talking about “great effort, everyone” when the result was average. That stuff actually makes things worse, because everyone knows it’s fake.

I’m talking about real wins on the way to real goals.

A tough customer call that saves an account.
A clean handoff that prevents a mess.
A teammate who stays late to get the right thing shipped.
A hard conversation that finally clears the air.
A milestone that proves you’re on track.

Those moments matter. They’re the work.

Here’s the simple rule: if you want a behavior to repeat, highlight it while it’s happening. Don’t wait until the end of the quarter and send a generic “thanks team” email to check a box. By then, the moment is gone, and the message lands flat.

Credit is one of your strongest levers as a leader. Use it on purpose. Name the person. Name what they did. Name the impact. Keep it clean and specific.

High fives don’t replace accountability. They support it because people work harder when they know their wins will be recognized.

Don’t save the celebration for the big finish. Celebrate the steps that move you forward. That’s how you build momentum, and that’s why high fives pay high dividends.