[kurige]

There are a lot of people who, even if they are highly technically competent, are not as comfortable taking independent action outside of what they've been directly told to do. Or worse, don't consider it to be part of their job at all.

If you want to promote any kind of sense of ownership or pride, find something they did that you didn't ask them to do and tell them that you think it's awesome. (Assuming you actually think it's awesome.) That's it.

I'm completely against patronizing, but to not signal to your employees that you value their judgement, independence and skill is... just foolish.