There’s an old advertising saying (from Jon Steele): If you’re going to build a mousetrap, leave room for the mouse. The idea being that if you expect to engage people they need to see something in it for themselves, and if it’s all about you there’s no room for them. The same is true of leadership. By definition a leader needs people to be engaged and that means they need to see what’s in it for them. If leadership is all about the leader, there’s no room for anyone else. The way a leader makes this happen is the subject of many books, but trust is at the root. If you are unable to allow yourself to trust those around you, you are making it all about you and are not leaving room for others to be fully engaged. Leaving room for that mouse means trusting others and letting yourself be a little bit vulnerable to their level of accomplishment. Good leaders are able to make that work; great leaders are able to make that succeed spectacularly.
Counseling organizations facing complex conflicts.