You don't have to promote people to show them they are doing a great job. Now, I'm sure Harj wanted the promotion, it's a big win for him, but promotions aren't the answer all the time.
There are lots of people who do NOT want a promotion, and you shouldn't feel you have to give them one. Often you can give them something more meaningful to them in the form of more compensation, bonuses, internal/external recognition, equity, etc.
When it comes to engineers, many prefer to keep writing code, not managing people, and simply want more recognition, equity or comp.
Receiving a promotion does not always require a significant shift in roles. Good tech companies allow engineers to climb the ladder while maintaining their propensity for writing code.
There are lots of people who do NOT want a promotion, and you shouldn't feel you have to give them one. Often you can give them something more meaningful to them in the form of more compensation, bonuses, internal/external recognition, equity, etc.
When it comes to engineers, many prefer to keep writing code, not managing people, and simply want more recognition, equity or comp.