Keep reminding people of what's important and that their fates are correlated.

Great leaders love talent and know where to find it. They surround themselves with talented people who can work effectively together.

The failure to find the right niche for people - or to let them find their own perfect niches - is a major reason that so many workplaces are mediocre, even toxic, in spite of the presence of talent. Leaders of great groups give them whatever they need and free them from everything else.

Successful leadership is not about being tough or soft, sensitive or assertive, but about a set of attributes. First and foremost is character

People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic, as they proceed from one challenge and crisis to the next.

Leaders are people who do the right thing: managers are people who do things right. Both roles are crucial, but they differ profoundly. I often observe people in top positions doing wrong things well.

Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led.