How do I lead my crew when no one respects the work we do?

You became the lead, and now you stand between a crew who counts on you and a building full of people who never once think about what you do. That is a lonely middle. You carry your team's morale and dignity in a place that gives them almost no recognition to work with. You cannot make the building notice you, but you can make your crew feel their worth from the inside. Recognition your people never get from the world, you can give them — see their work, name it, thank them for the jobs done well that everyone else overlooks. A team that knows its own value does not need the crowd's approval nearly as much. You can be the source of respect they were owed all along. Set the tone by how you carry yourself and how you treat them. Stand up for your crew where you can, shield them from the worst of the disregard, and remind them often that the building runs because of them. You may never get the thanks you deserve from the people upstairs. But you can build a crew that holds its head high anyway. That is real leadership, and it matters more than any of them will ever know.