Here is a brief excerpt from an article by Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn. To read the complete article, please click here.

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This image was recently emailed to one of the senior-most technology executives at LinkedIn. In case you can’t read it, the text says:

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

Contrary to what you might be thinking, the email didn’t come from an eternally optimistic employee who cheerleads regardless of outcomes or a feel-good management coach whose office is plastered with posters defining “persistence,” “teamwork,” or “dedication.”

It came from an engineer whose team has worked tirelessly over a period of years to develop and maintain an important back-end technology for the company. It’s the kind of technology that just works, and subsequently, makes LinkedIn work. It’s also the kind of technology that is so fundamental to what we do that it becomes easy to overlook — unless, of course, it’s not operating as expected. Then the team is inundated with questions about what’s wrong, when it will be fixed, and how they can put measures in place to ensure it doesn’t break again.

The engineer who sent the image to the executive added his own short message:

“This is what I feel after reading [your] email.”

Other members of the engineer’s team sent emails with similarly effusive sentiments. If you’ve ever worked closely with a team of highly talented, hardcore engineers you know that this show of unbridled happiness can be a bit unusual (to put it mildly.) So what had gotten them so enthused? An email written by the executive explaining how important the team was, how much value they had created, and his appreciation for their consistent diligence, perseverance, and excellence. Essentially, they were responding to a simple “Thank you.”

The highest ROI management tool I know is one that is available to everyone, costs essentially nothing, and is a proven driver of workplace productivity. That tool is gratitude.

As obvious as this may sound to some, it is oftentimes overlooked, particularly in companies and among teams for whom seemingly no results are good enough and no bar is ever set high enough. Yet, developing a high-performance culture and one that encourages the expression of gratitude shouldn’t be at odds. To the contrary, recognition can be an invaluable source of motivation and subsequently inspire people to do their best work. Looking back on my career, I’ve seen and experienced this dynamic more times than I can count, and conversely, have witnessed the negative repercussions of managers who take their teams for granted.

Here [is the first of five points] to consider the next time you’re inclined to show your appreciation for a job well done:

1. Be thoughtful

Not all thank yous are created equal. Be thoughtful about the how. Sometimes it’s best to do it in person, in the moment. Other times, an email or call might make sense, especially if the person is remote. Some of the most memorable thank yous I’ve received were handwritten notes (a few of which I still keep on a table behind my desk in the office).

Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, has elevated this kind of recognition to an art form. For example, mention offhandedly to him that you like dark chocolate, and don’t be surprised if several months later, he returns back from his latest trip to Europe with a few specialty bars he purchased for you, inevitably delivered with a resounding thanks for the positive difference you’re making to the company.

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To read the complete article, please click here.

Jeff Weiner has been the Chief Executive Officer of LinkedIn Corporation since June 2009 and serves as its Director. Previously, he served as an Executive in Residence at Greylock Partners and Accel Management Co, Inc. and as an Executive Vice President of Network Division of Yahoo! Inc. as well as its Senior Vice President of Search and Marketplace. He co-founded Windsor Digital and served as its Managing Director. From 1994 to 2000, he served in several capacities at Warner Bros., including Vice President of Warner Bros. Online and played a key role in developing and overseeing the division. He served as a Strategic Planning Analyst at Braxton Associates, the strategic management consulting division of Deloitte and Touche. He has been a Director of Intuit Inc. since April 2012. He has been a Director of LinkedIn Corporation since July 2009. He also serves as a Director of Malaria No More. He holds a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.