In the exercise of leadership, leaders must skillfully balance the art of influence and the science of control to accomplish targeted goals. Too much control and subordinates become task driven, lose the will to exercise initiative, and constantly look to the leader for further instructions. On the other hand, influence without control builds highly motivated teams that lack cohesive focus towards a common goal. Balancing these two extremes challenges every leader’s ability to direct subordinates while allowing disciplines initiative. Successful leaders build focused and adaptive teams through:
- Vision
- Trust
- Understanding
- Initiative
- Communication
- Prudent Risk