I’ve been refining how to describe my technique in leading others succinctly:

Leading others is about behaving and communicating so the other person feels comfortable sharing their vulnerabilities. Their vulnerabilities tend to be their greatest passions and strongest motivations. Their sharing their passions makes them feel understood and open to being led to act on it. In fact, they crave being led by their passions. With experience, their sharing their motivations with you feels like them asking you to lead them with them. Connecting their passions to the team task imbues their work with meaning and inspires them. You supporting them for their passion creates loyalty and makes their motivation endure. Most of your time leading, and then managing once they start, is about support. Sit with them to learn their needs to figure out how to support them.

Making it work depends on the skills of empathy, self-awareness, listening, sensitivity, putting their and the team’s interests before yours, rehearsal, and experience. Mastering those skills gives you authenticity and freedom.

I can still make it more concise, but I think I captured the core.

There’s also leading yourself and leading organizations. The above applies to leading individuals and small groups.

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