As a leader, your emotional tone can shape how your team members perform. Research shows positivity can help drive performance during long-term projects—but timing matters. Keep these two strategies in mind to make your team members feel a greater sense of worth and respect while performing at their best.

Lead with early, sincere encouragement. If you want to unlock strong performance, make your appreciation clear from the start. Use early interactions to express respect, enthusiasm, and confidence in your team. Specific, thoughtful praise helps people feel valued—and motivates them to live up to that positive impression.

Use the midpoint for constructive feedback. Don’t wait until the end of the project to offer critique. The midpoint is the ideal time to share concerns or areas for improvement. When team members feel they’ve earned your respect early on, a shift to honest, well-grounded feedback mid-project can boost motivation and help employees correct course if necessary.

This tip is adapted from “Research: When Leaders Express Positivity Early On, Employees Perform Better,” by Jacob Levitt et al.

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