Your job as a leader is to lift the game of the others on the team. I hold leaders accountable for that. A lot of people don't understand the business they're in or the value proposition they offer. You have to break down the top line results so that people throughout the enterprise understand how they contribute. At U.S. West I was able to show the line installers why they each needed to make six installations a day to support the larger business.
People have to be able to go home every day and know if they made a difference.
Understand the Human Connection Never forget or forsake the people who are affected by your decisions, and who in turn affect your ability to implement decisions. You cannot be sentimental in shaping the right strategy for the future. Nor can you bully, badger, or fail to respect people. I've never seen transformational efforts succeed when leaders showed no concern for others. There is a humane way to deal with people even when you have to deliver tough news.