When you realize that people treat you according to how they see themselves rather than how you really are, you are less likely to take personally their behavior toward you. If you're willing to stand apart from the crowd, you're putting yourself in a vulnerable position. Count on some degree of criticism. People withhold their best efforts when they see little or no relationships between what they do and how they are rewarded. The key to relating to others is putting yourself in someone else's place instead of putting them in their place.
Confidence is contagious.
Principles - this provides direction. Projects - this builds morale. You can get everything in life you want if you help enough people get what they want. Uniformity is not the key to successful teamwork. The glue that holds a team together is unity of purpose.