Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand the phenomena of an employee "being valued" in the context of a manufacturing SME. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study using rich data from in-depth interviews following a classical (Glaserian) grounded theory. Findings: A three dimensional concept of authentic pride enablement, altruistically-orientated shared-purpose and servant leadership explained the reasons people felt valued. Research limitations/implications: The limitations were that this study was in one context Practical implications: The implications are that if organisations consider a servant leadership approach, enabling of authentic pride and fostering of altruistically-orientated shared-purpose, this may help employees feel valued. Social implications: This has implications for how organisations can show their employees that they are valued. Originality/value: "Being valued" is a concept/construct that is widely quoted as a driver for employee engagement and yet rarely unpacked.