Leadership Quote by Robert Martin

Praise is cheap; attention is scarce. Robert Martin’s line lands because it treats encouragement not as a verbal pat on the head, but as a transfer of time, curiosity, and respect. Politicians live in a world where “great job” is currency often spent to buy loyalty, soften criticism, or end a conversation. Interest, by contrast, can’t be faked for long. It requires listening, remembering, following up. That’s why it carries more weight: it signals you believe someone’s work is worth engaging with, not merely worth applauding.

The intent is quietly strategic. By elevating interest over praise, Martin is arguing for a leadership style that builds durable motivation and trust. Praise is outcome-focused and hierarchical: I judge, then I reward. Taking interest is process-focused and relational: I’m alongside you, trying to understand how you think. The subtext is a critique of performative affirmation, the kind that flatters but doesn’t empower. It also sidesteps a trap in public life: praise can sound like spin, while curiosity reads as authenticity.

Contextually, this is a politician’s playbook for coalition maintenance. Volunteers, staffers, constituents, even rivals respond more to being taken seriously than to being complimented. Interest creates psychological safety; it invites people to elaborate, to own their ideas, to take risks without waiting for approval. Martin’s line works because it reframes “encouragement” as recognition of agency, not just recognition of achievement. In an attention economy, the most convincing vote of confidence is showing up and actually paying attention.