The business bestseller list is littered with books offering everything from 12 Principles of Leadership to 101 Ways to Motivate Employees. Like most intense introspection, leadership potential can be fostered, but the individual must make the final breakthrough on his or her own. And it can't be faked.
People react negatively to manipulation and insincerity.
The emphasis on feelings may seem out of step with the bottom-line focus of most businesses. However, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business Professor Marvin Zonis agrees that it's time to get emotions back into the workplace. Given the relative dearth of sustainable competitive secrets, he argues, a company's greatest asset is the quality and the commitment of the people who work for it. And the most effective way to mobilize employees is by making emotional connections. They do it because it feels great.