EI and HR: Canadian HR Awards judge Jamelle Lindo

HR leaders spend their days championing everyone else – but who is recognizing them?

For emotional intelligence coach and past Canadian HR Awards judge Jamelle Lindo, formal recognition is not a nice‑to‑have add‑on — it is a core leadership practice that shapes culture, performance and trust.

When recognition is deliberate and specific, he explains, it turns everyday behaviours into repeatable strengths for organisations and their people.

Emotional intelligence at the heart of recognition for HR

For Lindo, recognition starts with how leaders use everyday feedback.

As an emotional intelligence leadership coach, he works with executives who are usually focused on delivering constructive feedback to help people “learn, grow and become better versions of themselves” and better in their roles – however, he warns that this cannot stand alone.

“What needs to complement that is also feedback about what people are doing well,” Lindo says, explaining that every time leaders give feedback, they reinforce a behaviour loop. In contrast, when they call out behaviour they don’t want, they interrupt that loop.

“What that means is that positive feedback is a critical component of effective leadership,” he says.

“People need to know what they're doing well, specifically, as close to the moment that they did it as possible, so that there's real world context and they can make the connection, and it will really encourage them to continue to do it.”

That is especially important for HR teams, he adds, who are often tasked with coaching others on feedback while quietly receiving little themselves.

Why HR needs recognition too

When the focus turns to HR, Lindo is blunt; too often, HR is dismissed as “just the paper pushers” who sign documents, rather than strategic contributors. He also points to the emotional toll of the role – from navigating pandemic workplace changes to front‑line conversations about remote work, return‑to‑office mandates and social justice issues.

“Where did the complaints come in, when we were allowed to work from home for a year and then we got mandated to come back, after developing an entirely new lifestyle, some people having moved out to different areas,” Lindo says.

“And then we say, ‘Okay, well, they've got to come in now to work, which is now an hour away.’ Who's having that conversation? HR, and it's very thankless. So the awards does a really great job of highlighting people that deserve to be highlighted for the work that they do.”

What judging HR awards teaches a coach

Serving as a judge at the Canadian HR Awards gave Lindo a front‑row view of how recognition plays out across organisations, as well as new ideas for engagement within workplaces and in the larger community.

“It gave me a lot of insight into some of the great work that other organizations are doing,” he says.

“To get that line of sight into what other organizations are doing, the level of depth that they're doing it at and the vigor that they're bringing to the processes, to me was super insightful and super helpful. It allowed me to become a far more informed professional.”

Lindo notes that leaders frequently miss opportunities for recognition, not because they don’t care, but because “everybody's in a rush and many are stressed out, burnt out.” Offering timely, specific recognition requires presence in the moment, he says – a capability rooted in emotional intelligence.

For example, when organisations say they want people to be “customer obsessed” and an employee goes above and beyond to meet a client need, how leaders respond matters; “By having a recognition program that really highlights that, it emphasises that this is what we value in our culture.

Recognising benchmark for HR leadership in Canada

The Canadian HR Awards, “the benchmark for HR leadership in Canada,” recognise the individuals, teams and organisations shaping the future of work across the country. For 13 years, the programme has celebrated innovation, impact and leadership in HR, from rising stars to lifetime‑impact leaders.

The 2026 awards aim to spotlight “trailblazers redefining people strategy” – those driving culture, championing talent and delivering measurable business impact through HR excellence.

Nominations for the 2026 awards are open from March 30 to June 19 at 11:59 p.m. EST, with all entries submitted through the nominate page.