Recently, I spoke in Chicago for Encompass, one of the largest personal insurance brands in America.

My presentation closed out the three day meeting of 200 key leaders and management for Encompass. After my presentation, Cynthia Young, the President of Encompass wrapped up the meeting.

applause-528878629No doubt about it, Cynthia is a dynamic leader. She has a clear vision for the company, a keen ability to surround herself with talented people, and she knows how to connect with her team.

Like most company presidents, Cynthia wanted to thank the team that worked so hard in putting together a great meeting. At most meetings like this, the President will ask the planning team to stand-up and, as their names are scrolling on a screen up front, the audience applauds for 8-10 seconds. It is the norm.

Nice Bike is beyond the standard. It is making connections that move people. Cynthia went beyond the standard. She asked all of the 12 planning team members to stand-up, and then she said, “I want to thank each and every one of the team members for putting in so much time to make this such a turning point meeting for all of us.

“Now, most of you know either the team member’s face, their title or what they do for Encompass, but each of these people has so much more going on in their lives and I wanted to take a moment to not only say thank you, but to share something about each of these talented people …”

Cynthia went on to share something about each person’s hobbies, their family, their service in the community – something unique about each and every person. Her comments were specific, interesting and very complimentary. No notes. It was all from the head and from the heart.

I have never seen people beam so much in my life. The room lit up with their smiles. Why does Cynthia Young have such a dedicated team at Encompass? She recognizes, validates and connects with each and every team member.

Nice Bike, Cynthia Young.