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

Understand the "Pygmalion Effect": Leaders should always expect the very best of those around them. They know that people can change and grow.

If great teams don't have an "enemy," they create one for themselves because, as former Coca-Cola CEO Roberto Goizueta pointed out, "you can't have a war without one."

Growing other leaders from the ranks isn't just the duty of the leader, it's an obligation.

This is more than just having a vision. You can see the difference in the often-cited way in which Steve Jobs brought in John Sculley to take over Apple. At the time, Sculley was destined to be the head of Pepsico. The clincher came when Jobs asked him, "How many more years of your life do you want to spend making colored water when you can have an opportunity to come here and change the world?"

Followers who tell the truth, and leaders who listen to it, are an unbeatable combination.

Recognize and respect mutual self-interests, then build creative collaborations to serve them.