If your employees aren't better for working for you, you're not doing a good job. Leave notes where they're working. Thank them for doing something well. Look for the good and praise them. That way, when something goes wrong, you have the right to correct them.
People work because they matter.
You have to pay them a salary. But they'll go the extra mile because they're appreciated. People want to be looked at, not overlooked. Today, with the tight employee market, you need to remember this more than ever. I don't fire a lot of people.