Once we know who is leading, it is critical for the leader to know how to lead. Harold Green, who built ITT from a little company into a massive conglomerate, provides a suitable introduction to this issue of leadership. No one really manages a business by shuffling the numbers or rearranging organizational charts or tallying the latest business school formulas. What you manage in business is people. . . . To my mind, the quality of leadership is the single most important ingredient in the recipe of business success.
Leaders lead people.
A leader is one whom others consistently follow. People follow because they have a belief in the direction, integrity and competence of the one leading. We willingly follow others for much the same reason. It makes us feel good to do so. Now, we also follow platoon sergeants, self-centered geniuses, demanding spouses, bosses of various persuasions and others, for a variety of reasons as well.